Blinded By Love
by Chaotix Kitsune
Summary: Espio's life starts to spiral out of control when he get's involved with an abusive boyfriend. Only one person can save him, but is Vector up to the challenge? Yaoi, Mpreg, and Vecpio later on. NOW RATED M FOR LATER CHAPTERS.
1. Chapter 1

First chapter of my story.

Espio reveals that he is gay and starts dating a bad boy chameleon named Dameon. Not only is he a bad influence on him, he's abusive towards him as well. Vector and Espio get in a fight over this and Espio ends up quitting the Chaotix and moves in with Dameon. This story contains **YAOI **and will contain **MPREG **later on. It'll also hint at and eventually turn into **Vecpio **(Espio x Vector) later on.

I created a boyfriend for Espio by the name of Dameon. I know it's not how you spell Damien, but it's a twist on the name combining it with "chameleon". Aren't a creative XP

Again this chapter and the story contains **YAOI**. If you can't stand this stuff, then leave now. Chances are you are going to hate it.

* * *

It was just another night at the Chaotix Detective Agency headquarters. Vector, the crocodilian team leader, was just finishing up some paperwork for the night. He came down from his office to get a bite to eat as he missed dinner earlier.

He walked past the living room and saw Charmy, the youngest member, playing a video game.

"What are you still doin up?" Vector asked.

"Couldn't sleep." he said, still focused on the video game.

Vector walked over to the bee, taking the controller out of his hand and paused the video game.

"Oh come on! I'm almost at the final level!"

"Charmy, it's almost midnight. Why can't you sleep?"

"Espio promised he'd read me a bed time story but he hasn't come home yet."

"What? You mean he's not back yet?

"No… He's still on his date…"

"Oy… Alright, alright… Go up stairs and I'll read you a story."

"You never do it right. Espio tells them the best."

"I promise I'll try harder this time." He then gave a smile. "Now go up stairs and get in bed. I'll be up in a moment."

"Alright…" Charmy sighed as he flew up the stairs.

Vector then thought to himself…

_"Three nights in a row he's stayed out late. He's never been like that. It's probably that damn boyfriend of his…"_

Five minutes later, Vector went up to Charmy's room and read a book to him. It did the trick. But Vector felt that Charmy fell asleep not because he felt comfortable but that he was bored out if his mind. Either way, it worked.

Once Charmy was asleep, Vector went to prepare his late night snack followed by television. But his mind wasn't really focused on the program as much as it was on Espio. Vector was deeply concerned about him.

It all started about three months earlier when Espio came out about his sexuality. He was worried what Vector would think about it and was very emotional at the time. But Vector thought nothing of it. Espio was still his best bud no matter what gender he was attracted to. Later, he would tell Charmy who didn't seem to understand anyway being six years old. He actually believed it made more sense to like guys as he was at that stage where girls were "gross".

Everything was great and as usual for a while. But that all changed about two months ago. That's when Dameon came into the picture. Like Espio, he was also a chameleon. But he had many physical differences. His scale color was black and he possessed two white horns on his head rather than one. He was also bigger and older. Dameon managed to capture Espio's heart with no trouble at all. They began dating shortly after they met.

Vector considered Espio and Dameon to be an odd couple. While Espio fights for justice and swears to uphold the law, Dameon does just the opposite. He had been arrested multiple times in the past for being involved in illegal activity, such as stealing and vandalism. All of this was unknown to Espio when they first met. But it wasn't enough to break them apart. Espio believed that he could bring the good out in him.

Espio had brought Dameon over to the office at least twice a week. Charmy thought he was cool but Vector didn't like him one bit. Mostly because he thought that he was a bad influence on both Espio and Charmy. Of course, he also hated it when Dameon would make cheesy jokes directed towards him.

Once Espio started dating Dameon, his personality began to drastically change. The normally calm and cool chameleon started to become abrasive and untrustworthy. Vector hardly ever saw Espio meditate anymore. And he was always serious about meditating every day. He also seemed very distracted and unfocused while on the job. And every time he and Dameon went out, Espio would always come home late. To make things worse, Vector had seen him come home drunk or high. Espio was always so dedicated to having a clean body and spirit and always turned down drugs in the past. It seemed that Dameon was not changing for the better but Espio was changing for the worst.

It was now 4:00 am. Vector had passed out on the couch while waiting for Espio. It was then that Espio came home. But in order to get to his room, he'd have to cross the living room where Vector was sleeping. A simple task for a ninja. After turning invisible, he quietly began to cross Vector's path. However, Espio had a few drinks earlier which caused him to not notice Charmy's video game system sitting in the middle of the floor. He tripped right over it and got tangled up in the electrical cords. This snapped Vector out of his sleep.

"Huh… What?"

He awoke to the strange sight of Charmy's game system floating in the air and the cords wrapped around some invisible form.

"Espio?"

The jig was up. Knowing that, Espio made himself visible again. Vector assisted him in getting untangled.

"What the hell are you doin?" Vector said quietly but angrily. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Espio didn't respond.

"Don't bother trying to explain yourself. I can smell the alcohol on your breath from here. You know I stayed up waiting for you."

"I don't remember asking you to."

"Excuse me? You better watch your mouth boy."

Espio turned his back to Vector which made him even more furious.

"Charmy didn't go to bed until midnight because he said you promised you'd be home in time to read him a bed time story."

"I'm not the kid's babysitter. And I never promised, I said I might."

Vector then grabbed Espio's shoulders and forced him to face him.

"You know, I don't like your attitude. You've never acted like this until you met that idiot boyfriend of yours."

But Espio still wouldn't make eye contact with him and just kept staring at the floor. It was if he was trying to hide something.

"Why won't you look at me?"

Vector switched on a nearby lamp and then tilted Espio's head up. It was then that he discovered that Espio's left eye was swollen shut.

"What the…? What happened?"

"It was an accident."

"Dameon… He did this to you, didn't he?"

"I told you it was an accident! I got in his way!"

Espio's shouts woke up Charmy. Curious to what the commotion was about, he got out of bed and peeked down stairs.

"That's it. You're through with him. I don't want you seeing him anymore."

"You can't tell me what to do! It's none of your business!"

"If you're living under my roof, it is my business! He's no good for you Esp! Can't you see that!?"

"He actually listens to what I have to say instead of barking orders at me like you always do! Dameon made realize that I am my own person and I don't need you telling me how to live my life!"

Vector was beginning to lose his cool.

"You dare to compare me to the likes of that scumbag…? Fine… You wanna stay with him? Then that's just dandy. But don't you dare bring him into this house again. If you do, I can't promise you he won't come outta here in a body bag."

"I don't think I want to stay in a place that doesn't welcome the one I love… If you can't accept him, I quit the Chaotix."

Charmy's eyes widened when he heard that.

"You can't quit, cause I'm firing you! If you're going to act like a douche bag then I don't want you here!"

"Fine! It sucks living here under your dictatorship!"

Espio stomped into his room and grabbed what little possessions he had. He wrapped them up in a make-shift sack. Vector stood at his door watching him. As Espio walked past Vector to get to the front door, he threw something at him. It was the badge he received when he officially became a member of the Chaotix.

"I don't think I'll be needing that anymore."

"And I don't think you deserve it anymore."

Espio gave Vector the cold shoulder before walking out the door and slamming it. After he was gone, Vector let out a heavy sigh. When he turned around, he saw Charmy right in his face with tears in his eyes.

"Why did you make him go…?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Charmy… You're just too young to understand."

"Why can't you just like Dameon!? Then Espio wouldn't have left!

"Listen to me…" he said as he put his hands on the young bee. "Dameon is a very bad person. I'm keeping him away to protect you. I know it's complicated but please try to understand…"

"But… he's always so nice to me."

"You know what he did? He hit Espio. His eye can't even open up."

"Huh…? Why…?"

"I don't know. But there's no excuse in the world that would make it okay to do something like that."

"Why would you let Espio go back to him knowing that? We have to go and save him."

"It's not that simple Charmy… Believe me, I would love nothing more than to make Espio stay here. But he hast to figure it out for himself. All we can do is wait. I hate it as much as you do but… we have no choice."

Charmy then began to cry even harder. Vector pulled him into his arms and wrapped him in a hug, trying hard not to cry himself. Both hoped and prayed that Espio would come to his senses soon.

Meanwhile, Espio wandered around in the darkness wondering where to go. He was a little scared to go back to Dameon at the moment feeling he was still mad at him. Then a voice came from behind.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?"

He recognized the voice right away and turned around. Just then, Dameon became visible after being camouflaged against a brick wall. Espio was hesitant to answer him. He began to massage the wound that Dameon had given him earlier. Dameon slowly approached him.

"Sorry about that. I don't know my own strength sometimes." he said in a chuckle.

"I'm glad you find this funny…"

"Oh come on Esp…" he said as he put his arms around him. "I really am sorry…" He then kissed Espio just above his horn. "I promise you it won't happen again."

Looking into Dameon's puppy-dog eyes, Espio couldn't help but to crack a smile.

"What's that?" the black chameleon asked when he saw the black bag in Espio's hand.

"About that… Would it be too much of a bother if I moved in with you?"

"Huh? What happened to your place?"

"Vector and I had a huge fight. I don't think I'll be staying there anymore. I already quit my job."

"So you've finally come to your sense and realized what a jerk that croc truly is. It's for the best actually. You don't need someone like that telling you what to do."

"I guess so…"

"Well, mi casa es tu casa. I'd love to have you stay with me."

"Really? Thank you so much Dameon!" he said as he swung his arms over Dameon's shoulders. "You've just made me the happiest chameleon in the world. I promise I won't be in your way."

"I know, I know… What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face."

The two chameleons gazed in each others' eyes for a moment before locking lips. Espio could have sworn Dameon's tongue went down his throat a couple of times, but he didn't mind it too much. After ten minutes of making out, the chameleons went home.


	2. Chapter 2

Well here's chapter 2. Charmy misses Espio. Aww...

* * *

The next morning, the blue hedgehog known as Sonic came to Chaotix HQ. He was running an errand for his good friend Tails. When Sonic went to knock on the door, he was surprised that it was slightly open. He then peeked his head inside.

"Uh… Hello…? Can I come in?"

The blue hedgehog did not get a response. He stepped inside and called out the residents' names.

"Charmy? Espio? Vector? You here?"

Sonic then heard snoring coming from Vector's office. He peered inside to see the crocodile sound asleep on his desk. Sonic approached quietly and tapped Vector's arm. In reaction, he jumped up from his seat.

"Who wha… Who's there!?" he said in a daze.

"It's me, Sonic."

"What are you doin here?"

"Tails said he talked to you about this. That you were supposed to investigate Eggman's plan for a new robot? I'm picking up the plans for him."

"Oh… Oh! Right! Sorry bout' that. Here… um… now where did I put them?"

Vector began shuffling through all the paper work on his desk. He eventually found them and handed them to Sonic.

"There ya go!"

"Uhh… thanks…" he said in mild disgust. One corner of the plans was covered in Vector's drool. Sonic then noticed the dark circles under Vector's eyes. "Geez Vec… You look terrible. Didn't you sleep last night?"

"Not really… And neither did Charmy. He's takin a nap upstairs."

"And what about Espio?"

"I wouldn't know… He quit the team last night. That's kinda why we're not well rested."

"Quit? Why?"

"It's a very long story… Hey Sonic, you and Shadow are still… an item, right…?"

"Um… Yeah… Why do you ask?"

"Do you feel that you are not spending a lot of time with your friends anymore?"

"Well I do admit I don't spend as much time with them I used to, but I still make time for them. In fact, Shadow insists upon it and reminds me about it. He doesn't want me to lose my friends over him."

"I see… He's a good guy then."

"Is Espio dating someone?"

"Yeah… A real tool named Dameon."

"A guy? Never thought Espio played for my team."

"Yeah… It's kinda recent though. Anyway this guy is bad news. He's completely warping Espio's mind. And on top of that, he's abusive towards him.

"How awful…"

"I told him to leave him but he wouldn't listen to me. So I said I didn't want Dameon around here for Charmy's sake. He saw this as disrespect towards Dameon so he quit."

"I guess you just have to let him make his own decisions."

"I know. That's what I was trying to explain to Charmy. Poor kid… He's takin this so hard…"

"How are you taking it? He was your best friend after all."

"Not so well either… I can't believe that so many years of friendship could be destroyed by a guy Espio barely knows…"

"I don't think your friendship is destroyed. Deep down I know that Espio must still care about you and Charmy as you do him. People sometimes make irrational decisions when they are in love."

"Yeah, I guess you are right."

"Well… I better get going. Tails needs to go over the plans and find the weak points on this bot so I can smash it. I hope things get better for you."

"Thanks. See ya later."

"Oh, one more thing Vector."

"Yes?"

"Be sure to be there for Espio. By how you described this guy, it sounds like Espio will eventually crash and burn. He's gonna need someone to catch him, or else… you might lose him forever."

"Yeah… I'll be sure to remember that."

With that, the blue blur took his leave. Vector then began to think about what Sonic had just told him.

"I really hope it doesn't get that bad though… I don't want to see Espio hurt…"

* * *

Both Espio and Dameon had slept in until about 3:00 in the afternoon. Espio woke up to see Dameon wrapped around his body. He smiled a small smile and then kissed Dameon on the nose.

"Morning sweetie… " Espio's eye then caught the time on the alarm clock. "Or should I say afternoon… Goodness, it's late."

Espio got up and put on his shoes and gloves. Dameon squirmed around in bed for a moment trying to find Espio. He let out a yawn and said…

"Hey Esp, come back to bed. I was so peaceful here with you."

"Dameon, it's 3:01. We should probably get up now. "

"Yeah… I suppose you're right." He then stretched a bit and noticed Espio wiping his injured eye with a tissue. "Your eye feelin any better?"

"Yeah. A little. Just tears a lot."

"Aww baby, I'm so sorry for doing that to ya. How can I make it up?"

"It's fine. Don't worry about."

"You sure?"

"Yes, yes. Now, how does a mid afternoon breakfast sound?"

"Sounds delicious."

"Good. Well, I better get started. Love ya."

"Right back at cha."

_"I knew Vector was wrong about him."_ Espio thought. _"He has his flaws, but he's a real great guy. Last night was just an accident. That's all. I'm going to help get his life back on track."_

_

* * *

_

Back at Chaotix HQ, Vector was doing his best to keep focused on his work. But the thought of Espio now being in the hands of that "scumbag" kept running through his mind. To make things worse, the bills for the office came that day. Vector hated bills with a passion.

"Dammit!" he shouted as he made a mistake while writing a check. He voided it and grabbed a new one.

The bills came out higher this month than it did the last. That always seemed to be the case. It was going to be even harder to make ends meet without the aid of Espio.

After the bills were taken care of, Vector slouched in his chair. When he did his leg hit the underside of the desk causing a drawer to open. Vector's eye then caught the small flask he kept in there. He wasn't a heavy drinker but he'd like to have one every now and then when he was stressed. And right now, he was stressed more than ever.

"Ehh… a sip wouldn't hurt…" Vector managed to down the entire thing. It did help him mellow out a bit.

He was about to take another five minute when he heard the sound of Charmy's buzzing wings. That usually meant that Charmy was about to come fly in his office and start asking what he was doing and start touching his things. But this time, he somberly flew right past Vector's office. Normally, Vector would find this a blessing. But knowing what situation they were in at the moment, he decided to check on him.

Vector walked to the living room to see Charmy sitting upside down on the couch.

"What'cha doin there Charm?"

"Nothing…"

"Have a nice nap?"

"Nope."

"Anything I can get you?"

"Nah-uh."

Vector sat on the couch next to Charmy.

"Come on, Charmy. Let's talk."

"I don't feel like talking…"

This coming from the kid who never shuts up.

"I know you are worried about Espio. I think we should talk about it."

"But I don't know what to talk about…"

"Well… How bout' what you're feeling right now?"

Charmy then turned right-side-up.

"Sad… How could Espio leave?"

"It's love, I guess… If that's what you call 'love'".

"Do you think he'll come back?"

"I'm not sure right now. I hope he does."

"I wish I got to say good-bye… But he just looked so mad. I was afraid to."

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Espio loves you."

"…"

"Would you feel better if you got to talk to him?"

"Hmm…?"

"Well… I guess I could maybe a… dial Dameon's number for ya."

"You would?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Alright!"

Vector smiled as he watched Charmy happily fly around the room. It was good to see him act like himself again.

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"I don't think that'd be a good idea right now. Best you talk to him. He'll probably just hang up on me."

* * *

Back at Dameon's house, Espio was busy cooking pancakes for the two of them. Pancakes had always been Espio's specialty. He used to make them for Charmy and Vector all the time. All of a sudden, the phone started ringing. But Espio had to watch the pancakes to make sure they wouldn't burn.

"Dameon, could you get that please?"

"Yeah, sure."

Dameon went to the other room where the phone was. The radio was on in the kitchen so Espio couldn't hear who was on the phone.

"Yeah, who's there?" Dameon said after picking up the phone.

"Um… Hi. Is Espio there?" said a child's voice on the other end.

"Who wants ta know?"

"It's me… Charmy."

"Oh! The Charm-miester! Didn't recognize you over the phone. How've you been?"

"Um… Okay… So… Can I talk to Espio?"

"Uh… You know what? He just left the house like 5 minutes ago. Ya missed him."

"Oh… Okay… Well, can you tell him I called?"

"Sure kid, sure. Kay bye."

Before Charmy got to say good-bye to Dameon, he had already hung up the phone. He then hung up his end of the phone with a sad look on his face. He left the office and met Vector outside.

"Well?"

"He wasn't there… Dameon said he went out."

"So you talked to Dameon, huh?" Vector said with an uneasy tone his voice. "Well, don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll call you back."

"Yeah…"

"Hey cheer up! Whaddya say we go get some ice cream?"

"… Can I get the honey flavor?"

"Sure you can."

"Oh boy!"

The crocodile and the bee then headed to the ice cream parlor down the street.

Meanwhile…

"Who was it Dameon?" Espio asked.

"Oh… Um… Just some bill collector."

"Oh. Well, the hotcakes are almost done."

"Great! I'm starving."

* * *

Yeah... Sorry this chapter was kinda lame XD. It'll be better next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3. Charmy and Vector reunite with Espio. R&R please.

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Espio quit the Chaotix. During this time, Vector and Charmy hadn't heard a word from him. Both of them thought about it while walking home from a mission.

"Maybe he doesn't like us anymore…" Charmy said.

"Now, I'm sure that's not true." replied Vector. "He's probably just busy." Then he thought, _"At least, I hope that's the reason."_

Charmy let out a sigh and flew around in circles slowly.

"If anything, I'd be me he's mad at. Have you tried calling him again?"

"Yeah… But I got the answering machine. I left a message, but still, nothing."

_"Maybe I was too hard on him that night."_ Vector thought to himself. _"Maybe he's still mad at me and doesn't want to reply to Charmy because of that."_

Vector and Charmy turned a corner that lead to a small street market. They were surprised when they saw a familiar purple chameleon there, looking at the produce section.

"ESPIO!?" said Charmy.

Hearing the familiar voice, Espio turned his head towards them. While Charmy was excited, Vector had a more nervous feeling.

"Huh, Charmy?" said Espio.

Charmy flew around in a swirling pattern towards him until he made a landing in his arms. The impact nearly made Espio fall over. Charmy hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go.

"H-hey!" Espio said in a slight laugh.

"Espio, Espio! It's Espio! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too. How you've been?"

Vector approached slowly and quietly. Espio noticed him over Charmy's shoulder. Both didn't say anything to each other, just stared.

"Sad… But I'm happy now! I was worried you didn't like me anymore!"

"Why ever would you think that?"

"Well, the night you left… I didn't get to say good-bye to you…"

"Aww Charmy… I'm sorry."

"Also, you never returned my calls."

"You called me?"

"Yeah. Twice."

"That's strange… I've never heard your messages."

"Espio, won't you come home now?"

"I'm sorry Charmy. But it's not that simple."

"If it's because you're mad at Vector still, don't worry! He wants you back just as much as I do!"

"Oh he does, does he?"

_"Charmy… you and your big mouth…" _Vector thought.

"That true, Vector? You are awfully quiet…"

"Well… um… Yeah… I guess it… wouldn't hurt having you around again."

Far from the apology Espio wanted.

"You should come home with us." Charmy added. "I don't want Dameon to hit you again."

"You told him?" Espio asked Vector. "Vector!"

"Well what did you expect!? I had to explain to him why I didn't want him around Dameon!"

"Now you've gone and made him afraid of Dameon!"

"Yeah, well, maybe he should be!"

"I already told you that it was an accident!!"

"Yeah, that's exactly what you want to believe, now isn't it!?"

Although in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't fuel the argument, Vector couldn't help but to get his point across as blatantly as he could.

"What's that supposed to mean…? I think I know my own boyfriend."

"I've read enough cases about domestic violence to know how the game works. "

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Sure the first strike is claimed to be an accident. Then the abuser promises to never do it again. But that's almost never the case. It happens again and again and again."

"I'll have you know that Dameon hasn't laid a hand on me since!"

"He's already shown to be possessive! Why the hell else wouldn't you have gotten those messages from Charmy! Cause he wants you all to himself!"

"STOP IT! Stop fighting!"

Espio and Vector were too involved in their argument to notice that Charmy had sunken down to the pavement while covering his "ears". Small spheres of water fell from his eyes.

"Charmy…" both Espio and Vector said.

"Why…? Why can't things just be like they were…?"

"Look… Charmy…"

Vector attempted to reach a hand out the distraught bee, but only to get a rejection.

"Just leave me alone!"

Charmy then zoomed into the air and flew over a building and out of sight.

"Charmy, wait!"

Vector who had his back facing Espio turned around.

"Look… I think it's best we put aside our differences for now and find our friend."

"Agreed… It's because of us that he's feeling this way."

Espio and Vector were about to leave when Dameon came out from one of the buildings.

"What's goin on?" he asked.

Vector then gave Dameon a dirty look.

"Charmy's very upset right now, Dameon. I have to help Vector find him. Maybe you can help us?"

"Now, now… It's best to leave the kid on his own."

"What?"

"Well, when I'm upset, I usually like to be by myself."

"With all due respect, Dameon, Charmy is NOT you…" Vector said. "I know him pretty well and he hates being alone."

"Oh really? Well you go look for him then. Come on Espio."

"But Dameon, I want to make sure he's okay…"

"I'm telling ya, he's going to be fine. Vec will tell us how it turns out, won't you Vec?"

Vector hated it when people who weren't his friends called him "Vec".

"You gonna actually give the messages to Espio this time, or just erase them?"

"Hmm…?"

"I'm not arguing with you right now. I want to find my friend. Espio, you coming or not?"

"Well…"

"Espio, he'll be fine." Dameon said. "Just come home. We had a special night planned, remember?"

Espio kept looking back and forth between Vector and Dameon for a few moments before making his decision.

"I'm sorry Dameon… But it'll have to wait. I have to let Charmy know that I care about him."

The expression on Dameon's face changed from cool and calm to anger and frustration.

"Fine then… Go…"

"You're not mad, are you?"

"No… no… Just go."

"I promise I'll make it up to you."

Espio gave Dameon a quick hug before heading off with Vector. After they were out of sight, Dameon paced up and down the side walk before kicking over the fruit stand.

"Dammit…" he said under his breath.

* * *

"Where do you suppose he's gone?" Espio asked Vector.

"I really have no idea."

"Well… we are detectives… We should be able to find him."

"Right."

Vector and Espio started their search through the streets and alleyways in the cities. While they were doing so, they managed to strike up a conversation.

"So, how's the business fairing?" Espio asked.

"It's… fairing alright." Vector said, though he was lying. "In fact, Charmy and I just completed a mission not that long ago."

"That's… good."

There was another long awkward silence between the crocodile and the chameleon.

"Things going well with… your boyfriend?"

"Are you actually interested or are you just trying to break the silence?"

"Come on… just answer."

"They are going quite well. I feel that we have a deeper connection now that we are living together."

"Uh-huh… I don't think this is doin any good. We should split up."

"Yeah… sure…"

Vector decided to search the streets while Espio searched higher ground. They asked random people that they bumped into if they saw a bee wearing a helmet. Unfortunately, no one did. Hours later, Espio finally spotted a lead.

"Huh… What's this…?" he said.

He picked up the glimmering object from the ground. It was Charmy's pin. By the way it was facing on the ground; Espio concluded that Charmy had gone east.

Meanwhile, Vector got a lead of his own. A woman had seen Charmy earlier.

"Yes. I think he was heading to Sunset Park."

"Of course. Why didn't I think of that? He loves that park. Thanks, ma'am."

By the time Vector got to the part, he was surprised to see that Espio had already gotten there before him.

"So… You figured it out?"

"I found Charmy's pin on the ground. I started to head east when I remember the park being in the same direction. I figure this is where he went."

"Yeah. He loved those summer night parties we used to have here."

"Yeah…"

"Well, let's start looking."

Vector and Espio looked around the park for about ten minutes until they spotted a certain tree. It came to their minds that Charmy loved that tree. Notably, it was the largest one in the park.

"I have a suspicion he's over there." said Vector.

Once they were there, they both looked up to see if they could see Charmy.

"Charmy? Ya there?" asked Vector.

But there was no response. Then, Espio managed to spot a black and yellow rear sticking out from one of the branches. He tapped Vector's shoulder and pointed.

"Ah… Jig is up Charmy. We can see ya."

Charmy looked down from the branch. His eyes were still welled with tears.

"Go away…" he said.

"Come down here. We just wanna talk. Don't make me come after ya."

Charmy then flew to a higher branch.

"Let's see you get up here."

"Alright… Here I come."

Climbing tries really wasn't Vector's expertise. The tree's trunk was too wide for him to get his arms around. He managed to climb two feet before losing his grip and falling on his back.

"Ow…"

"Vector… This isn't working." Espio said. "Charmy? May I join you?"

"Hmph!" said Charmy with his nose in the air.

"I promise I won't force you to come down here. I just think we should talk. I'd like to apologize to you."

"… Well… Okay…"

Espio climbed the tree effortlessly and reached the branch where Charmy was.

"Hmph… Show off…" Vector mumbled.

The chameleon sat down next to the bee. But Charmy still refused to make eye contact.

"I realize that things got kind of heated back there. And I just want to say I'm sorry. Neither Vector or I meant to make you feel so uncomfortable."

"Is Vector gonna say he's sorry…?"

Both Charmy and Espio looked down from the tree at Vector.

"Well, Vector?"

"Yeah… I'm sorry Charmy… We won't fight anymore. Promise."

"So… will you come back?" Charmy asked Espio.

"I'm afraid I can't. Dameon and I are preparing to start our lives together."

Charmy then sulked.

"But I promise you that we'll see each other. I know I haven't been around these past few weeks. But things are going to change."

"And Dameon won't hurt you?"

"Of course he won't. You have nothing to be afraid. Dameon's working on getting his life together."

_"Oh brother…"_ Vector thought to himself.

"So… do you forgive Vector and I?" Espio asked Charmy.

"… Yes."

The two embraced each other for a moment. Espio then remembered something.

"Oh yeah… You dropped this."

"Hey, that's my pin. Where'd you find it?"

"Near the street. The clasp must have loosened.

Espio pinned it back on Charmy's vest. The two then climbed/flied down from the tree where Vector was waiting. Charmy gave him a quick hug to let him know that he was forgiven.

"Oh um, Espio. I wanted to give you somethin." said Vector.

"Huh?"

Vector then pulled out the Chaotix membership badge that Espio had left behind.

"It would… be an honor if you took this back. Your help in finding Charmy proved to me that you still are Chaotix material. Also… I'd like to apologize for my behavior that night… I let my mouth get the better of me."

Espio stared at the badge for a moment and then looked back at Charmy. By the look in his eyes, he desperately wanted him to accept the badge.

"Very well… I accept."

"Yahoo!" Charmy yelled. "We're a team again!"

"You may not live with us anymore. But it would be nice if we could call on you if we need anything."

"Yeah. I'd like that too." said Espio.

The three left the park and walked together until they reached the point where they would have to go their separate ways.

"Bye Espio!" Charmy said. "Hope we can see each other again soon!"

"See ya, Charmy. Behave yourself now."

Espio then faced Vector.

"Guess this is good-bye for now." Espio said.

"Yep… See ya later."

Before separating, Vector whispered something in Espio's ear.

"I know you say everything is alright now, but… I'd really appreciate it if you kept Dameon away from Charmy until he's straightened himself out a bit. Whether that was an accident or not, he's still a criminal. Please don't take this personally. I just want what's best for Charmy."

"I guess… that's reasonable wager."

Both shook hands and went their separate ways. Vector looked back at Espio and thought:

_"Though I truly believe that Dameon is a scum bag and will never change, I really hope I'm wrong about it."_

* * *

Espio arrived home by 4 pm. He was relieved as he and Dameon could still have their "special night". When he opened the door to the apartment and came into a silent room.

"Dameon?"

But there was no response.

"I'm home."

Espio looked around the apartment and eventually found Dameon in the bedroom. He was sitting on the edge of the bed resting his head on his hands. Espio was surprised to see the room all disheveled.

"Hey… What happened in here?"

"Nothing…"

Dameon did not make any eye contact with Espio.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nope…"

He slowly approached Dameon.

"Are you feeling sick?"

Espio attempted to put a hand on Dameon's forehead, but he smacked his hand away before standing up and walking away.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Heh… what's wrong?? You totally ditched me, that's what's wrong."

"I didn't ditch you… I just wanted to see if Charmy was alright."

"Yeah, well, what about me? Who do you care about more?"

"I-I care about you both. Equally."

"Equally? That's all…? Because you are the most important to me, above anyone else. How come I have to share?"

"It's doesn't mean my love for you is any less. Charmy is like a little brother to me. So of course I'm going to have a lot of love for him."

"Yeah… whatever…"

"Anyway. We still have a lot of time to start our special night. So I'll start cooking and…"

"Know what? Save it for yourself. Cause I don't want any right now."

"But… Dameon…"

"Just leave me alone. Maybe you should feel what it's like to be stood up and think twice before doing it to me again."

"Dameon, please…"

Dameon then shoved Espio out of the room and slammed the door. Espio was left speechless by his actions and could not respond to him. He stared at the closed door for a few minutes, trying hard not to start crying. He eventually gave up and went to the living room where he cried himself to sleep on the couch.

* * *

You're so cruel Dameon D=  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4. It short and it sucks XD sorry.

* * *

The next morning came. Espio quietly moved to the kitchen were he began to boil some tea. It appeared that Dameon had not left his room all night. Espio couldn't understand what got him so mad. He poured himself a cup of the newly brewed tea and sat at the kitchen table. His mind deep in thought.

_ "Because you are the most important to me, above anyone else. How come I have to share?"_

Dameon's statement kept on replaying over and over in Espio's head. While believing he was being a bit childish, he was actually touched that he mattered that much to Dameon. Perhaps this was why he was so upset. Maybe he felt neglected.

He then heard the door to Dameon's room open. Espio's heart seemed to have jumped higher in his chest. Sweat began to form on his face. He heard footsteps come towards him. Espio did not move. He feared that Dameon was going to tell him off again.

"Mmm… Hey babe. Good morning." said Dameon.

Far from the attitude Espio was expecting.

"Good morning…?" he said quietly.

"I'm starvin… What's for breakfast?"

Espio stared at Dameon with a confused look on his face. This was not the same guy from yesterday.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

"Come on. Somethin's bothering ya. I can tell."

"Let's just say this isn't what I was expecting. After that little… incident yesterday."

"Huh…? Oh! That! Yeah. I got over that a long time ago."

"Why were you held up in your room for so long?"

"To be honest… I've been completely wasted since last night… I've must have smoked like ten joints."

That would explain that smell. Espio looked down at his cup of tea.

"Come on. Lighten up already."

"Lighten up? While you were getting high I was sick to my stomach over what happened. I was worried that you were still mad at me."

He paused for a moment trying not to choke up.

"You… really hurt me yesterday…"

"Okay… Maybe I overreacted a little. I just have... issues with being walked out on."

Dameon sat at the table across from Espio.

"When I was a kid, my dad walked out on me and my mom. When I was a young teen, my mom kicked me out of the house and left me to fend for myself. So when you went off with Scaly yesterday, I guess those memories came back. I didn't mean to be so hard on you."

Espio developed some sympathy for Dameon; which of course was part of his plan. Espio reached across the table and held Dameon's hand.

"I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm really not the kinda guy that opens up about his problems."

"Well now that I know, I'll try to arrange things better. But you know. Yesterday was kind of an emergency. But please know that I will never leave you behind."

"Yeah I know. Hopefully everything will go smoothly for us from now on."

Espio moved to the other side of the table and kissed Dameon.

"Did you really mean what you said yesterday? About me being the most important to you?"

"Yeah. That kinda was the only thing I was sincere about yesterday. To me you're not only my boyfriend but my best friend as well."

"That means a lot to me Dameon…" he said as he wrapped the black chameleon in a hug.

"And… about what I said about Charmy yesterday. I realize that he's just a kid… I know you love me as much as I love you."

"Yes. You and I share a special kind of love that I could never share with Charmy."

Both chameleons slowly moved in for another kiss. Their lips remained locked for a few minutes. During this time Dameon decided to play a little tonsil hockey inside Espio's mouth. Afterwards, Espio decided to get started on making breakfast.

"So is everything alright with Charmy now?"

"Yes. He was just upset because Vector and I were arguing in front of him."

"About what?"

"Umm… nothing..."

"It was about me, wasn't it?"

"A little. Anyway I cleared things up with him. He told me that he really missed me being around. He said he even called here a couple times."

"Oh really…?"

"Yeah. Did you hear anything from him?"

"Um no. Maybe he dialed the wrong number or something."

"I did make a decision yesterday though. I've decided to rejoin the Chaotix."

Dameon nearly spit out his orange juice.

"What…?"

"I never realized how much I love doing detective work until I stopped. Vector told me it would be an honor to have me on the team again."

"I see… That mean you're moving back to your old place?"

"No, no. I'm staying here. Don't worry. And I'm not going to be on duty all the time like I was. It's more of a part-time thing."

"Guess that means you and Scaly are friends again."

"Well I never thought we weren't friends anymore. We were just arguing with each other."

Dameon wasn't exactly happy about the news. But he couldn't let Espio know that. However, he was interested in the money Espio would be making.

"Huh… Well um… good for you. Money is kinda getting tight. Hopefully I'll get a job soon."

Dameon always had a hard time keeping jobs. He had a reputation for being late, stealing, and being rude to costumers.

"But no one seems to want to hire me cause of my history…"

"Well don't worry. I'm sure you'll find one soon."

Of course the truth was that Dameon hadn't really looked for jobs at all. He spent most of the time using Espio's money to buy drugs, unbeknownst to him.

"So what'cha cooking there?"

"Bacon and eggs. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!"

The two chameleons enjoyed their breakfast for the rest of the morning.

* * *

Told ya it was lame. Sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi. Sorry about not updating for a little while. I've been busy with things ^^Thanks for all the reviews you guys are giving me.

Here's chapter 5. R&R please

* * *

About a week passed by. All was normal at the Chaotix Detective Agency.

"Sure thing, Mr. Swanson." Vector said over the phone. "I've got the paper work right here. Your case will be finished by Monday mornin. Thank you for your patience."

Just then, there was a knock at the front door.

"Ah. Another client perhaps."

By the time Vector left his office, the unexpected guest had already let himself inside. Vector's eyes widened when he saw an all too familiar black chameleon leaning against the couch.

"Hey Vec!" Dameon said. "Hope you don't mind me letting myself in. It's cold out there."

"Actually… I kinda do mind."

"Seems to be cold in here too. Come on, now. Don't be that way. I just wanna be pals."

"Yeah, well I don't."

Dameon let out a sly chuckle.

"Man, you're killin me."

"Huh… Come closer and I'll show you what 'killin' really is." the crocodile said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Why so hostile?"

"You think you're so charming, don't ya? Your words may work on Espio, but not me. I've dealt with your kind before. And frankly, I think you're an amateur."

"My kind? What 'kind' would that be?"

"Con artist."

"Oh you got the wrong impression of me. Those days are long gone. I'm a changed chameleon."

"Were you changed that night when you gave Espio a black eye?"

Oh… So that's what this is about. Look, I had too much to drink that night and I made an error in judgment. I wasn't trying to hurt Espio."

"Sure you weren't…"

"Well if you're so worried about Espio then why'd you send him back to me? I'd think if there was any real danger that a true friend would try to help."

Vector clenched his fist.

"Espio's nearly an adult now. He can make his own decisions. No matter how bad they are. It's the only way he'll learn."

"Exactly my point. So I'd appreciate it if you'd stop putting all these things about me in Espio's head. Unlike you, I can actually accept what he wants to do in his life. That's why I'm here. I'm trying to show my support in his decision in rejoining the Chaotix."

"And that's why you tried to talk him out of helping Charmy the other day, right? How come you had a hard time accepting that decision?"

"Wow… It's just impossible to impress you, isn't it? You're negative attitude is so uncool…"

"Well I'm sorry if you think seriousness is negative."

"Espio tells me that you're the comedic one. You're not living up to expectation."

"I'm comedic in times that call for it."

"Come on. Just one joke."

"Alright… What has a horn and can crash into a wall at 50 miles an hour?"

"A car…"

"Nope. You, if you don't leave now. Charmy will be home soon and I don't want you near him. I had an agreement with Espio that you couldn't come around here until you straightened up your act."

"… Fine. I can tell where I'm not wanted. Sorry for trying to be nice to you. I'd thought that maybe we could end the bad blood between us and move on with our lives. But I see that's not happening."

Vector watched as Dameon went for the front door.

"I'll give your best regards to Espio…"

The black chameleon slammed the door behind him and left the premises.

"Damn…" Vector swore to himself. "I bet Espio didn't tell him not to come over here because he didn't want to hurt his poor wittle feewings… Better to make me look like the bad guy."

Meanwhile, Charmy was flying back home after running an errand for Vector. He had promised to give him a reward if he did this errand and Charmy was all too excited to get it.

"I sure hope it's money so I can get that video game!" he said to himself.

Charmy continued on until he was confronted by Dameon who had just left the house. Charmy gasped and "hit the breaks" in mid flight.

"Hey! Look who it is. How ya doing little buddy?"

"Uhh… fine…"

"Why so quiet? That's not like you. Come on. Why don't we go get a bite to eat? My treat."

"S-sorry… I hafta get going…"

Dameon grabbed on to Charmy's shoulder.

"Relax… I'm not gonna bite."

"I'm not supposed to be talking to you. Vector's gonna get mad."

"He's doesn't have to know. Just tell him that you got sidetracked."

"Isn't that lying…?"

"Well… Sometimes you have to lie to get things you want. So come on. Whaddya say?"

As he spoke, Dameon made a fist without really thinking about it. This caused Charmy to panic.

"Uh! Sorry! No time!! Gotta go!!"

He sped off to Chaotix HQ, leaving Dameon in his dust.

"Huh… Weird kid… Why does Espio want to hang out with these two?"

Vector anxiously awaited the arrival of Charmy back home. He was worried Dameon was heading in the same direction. Just then, the door opened and Charmy flew inside.

"Hey, how'd it…"

Charmy appeared to be scared. He went to look out the window to check if anyone was following him.

"Uh… Charmy?"

But he kept staring out the window. Vector approached him and tapped him on the back which startled him.

"What's the matter?"

"I-I ran into Dameon…"

"I was afraid of that…"

"Huh?"

"Dameon stopped by here not too long ago. Trying to be all buddy-buddy with me."

"I thought he wasn't supposed to come here."

"He's not. He invited himself. Are you okay? You seem a little jumpy."

"Dameon tried to get me to come with him. But I ran away."

"Good boy." he said as he patted him on the head. "You did the right thing."

"Do you think he's coming back here?"

"Don't worry about it. If he does, he'll be sorry that he did. Don't be afraid."

"Okay."

* * *

On the other side of the city, Espio was cleaning up the apartment before Dameon's arrival home. During this time, he turned his attention to a strip of photos on top of the television. It was a picture of him and Dameon on their third date. They had gone to the carnival and decided to get into the photo booth and take a few pictures of themselves. They made funny faces in the first few shots. The last one was of them kissing. Espio smiled as he remembered that date. It was a wonderful night.

A few minutes later, Dameon would return home. He looked slightly irritated.

"Hey Sweetie." Espio said warmly. "Did you get what you needed to get done?"

He didn't answer.

"What's wrong?"

"It's your friends. What a lovely bunch they are."

"What do you mean?"

"I tried to make amends with Vector, and he treats me like a damn criminal."

"Where did you see Vector?"

"At his place."

"Oh…"

"Yeah. I think you forgot to mention that Vector didn't want me on his property. Some agreement that the two of you had. What gives?"

"Well… I sort of agreed with Vector that we would wait some time before you would visit the headquarters…"

"Why? You embarrassed of me?"

"No, no. It's not that at all. He just wants to make sure Charmy is safe."

"So… you don't think he'll be safe around me."

"No, I do. It's just… Gosh… It's hard to explain. I just don't want anymore arguments started between Vector and I. If we argue, then Charmy gets upset. It's best just to agree with him on some things for the sake of everyone. I'm very sorry. I should have explained this to you."

"Yeah. I wish you would have before I went and made an idiot out of myself."

"You didn't make an idiot out of yourself. You were trying to be friendly. I think that's great. You just have to get Vector to warm up to you. That's all."

"Face it. He's never liked me and he never will. He's even spreading his paranoid behavior to Charmy. Kid freaked out and bolted on me while I was talking to him."

Espio made a frown. He then placed his hands on his lover's shoulders and began to massage him.

"I'm sorry you had to experience this. I'll try talking to them again."

"Don't think that'll do any good, but whatever. Guess you can try."

The purple chameleon wrapped his arms around the black chameleon in a loving embrace.

"How about we turn in early and… exchange our love…" Espio said while moving his hand to the inside of Dameon's thigh. "Would that help you feel better…?"

"It might…" he said as he grabbed Espio's other hand. "Will you put on that outfit I like…?"

"What ever you want…"

The two withdrew into Dameon's room for an afternoon of passion.

* * *

A couple days later, Espio decided to pay a visit to his old home. He wanted to try and convince Vector that Dameon was good at heart.

The chameleon arrived that the house at 2 pm. The door was answered by Charmy.

"Hi Espio!!" he said happily and hugged Espio's torso.

"Hey there, Charmy. You've been behaving yourself?"

"Yes siree!"

"Good. Vector home?"

"Yeah. He's in his office. I think he's doing the bills again."

"Oh boy… Then he's probably not in a good mood."

"Nope!"

"Well this can't wait."

"What did you want to talk about?

"Something… Say Charmy. Are you afraid of Dameon?"

Charmy made a frown and started to look at the floor.

"Charmy." he said as he kneeled down to make eye contact with the bee. "You have nothing to be afraid of. He's not going to hurt you."

"Vector says I shouldn't talk to him… That he's bad… And yesterday Dameon was acting all creepy and wanted me to lie to Vector."

"I'm sure you misunderstood him. He just wants to be friends, that's all."

"I don't know…"

Just then, Vector emerged from his office.

"Vector?" said Espio.

"Huh? Oh, hey Esp. What brings you here?"

"We need to talk. Now."

"Hmm… Okay. What about?"

"You know what it's about…"

The look in Espio's eyes expressed enough information.

"Oh boy… Hey Charmy. Why don't you go play your video games for a while?"

"Oh no… Are you to gonna fight again…?"

"No, no, no!" Vector and Espio said.

"We're not going to argue again." said Espio. "Promise."

"Alright…" Charmy sighed.

Both Espio and Vector went inside the office to talk.

"Okay then. Talk to me."

"How could you be so rude to Dameon? He was trying to be nice to you. And you threaten him?"

"Look. I have a built in bull-crap detector. Everything that came out of his mouth should have come out his ass. He doesn't really want to be friends."

"You don't know that. He was really hurt by what you said to him."

"And the manipulation continues…"

"Fine… Think what you want. But why do you continue to make Charmy afraid of him?"

"I said it before. I don't trust him. Until he can prove otherwise, I don't want him around Charmy."

"Then what? What does he have to do to get you to trust him?"

Vector did not answer and ran his hand down his face.

"Do you even know?"

"Look. It's going to take some time. It's too soon for now. Let's see if his good behavior can last. If he truly loves you he'll understand and be patient about it."

Espio let out a sigh.

"Okay… fine." he said.

"Alright. Well since you're here, I might as well go over a case with you that we have for tomorrow. Can you be there?"

"Yeah."

Vector went to his desk and grabbed a report.

"Seems that there have been a number of break-ins in the area. The police don't have any leads at the moment. Whoever robbed these homes definitely knew what they were doing."

"That's despicable…"

"We need to look at these homes to see if we can find any clues. Hopefully we can solve this case quickly.

"Yes. We should resolve this matter before anyone else gets robbed."

* * *

Yep that's it XD. Stay tuned for more.


	6. Chapter 6

Here's chapter 6. Hope youlike it XD

* * *

Just before the break of dawn, an alarm clock sounded. Espio wanted to make sure he was up bright and early in preparation for this mission. Next to him lay the sleeping black chameleon. The alarm clock didn't even faze him as he was completely knocked out from drinking all night. Espio made sure to give him a light kiss on the forehead before heading to the kitchen.

Espio made himself some breakfast which consisted of herbal tea and some crackers. After his breakfast, he began to make Dameon's. Espio saran wrapped it and put it in the refrigerator where Dameon could find it. After that, took some time to meditate. He wanted to make sure his mind was clear before going out on his mission.

Espio met Vector and Charmy at the location around 7:00 am.

"Ah. There you are." Vector said.

"Good morning." said Espio.

Charmy let out a big yawn before saying:

"…Morning!"

"Come on. Wake up already, Charmy." Vector complained.

"Well if you just let me have some of your coffee…"

"You're too young for that. Besides you hate the way it tastes."

"Not if you put sugar in it."

"Yeah. Just what I need. You being even more hyper than usual."

"Should we talk about what our plan of action is?" asked Espio.

"Oh um… Right. Well this is the last place burglarized in this string of break-ins. Keep a sharp eye out for any kind of clue."

"Okay!"

"And Charmy?"

"Hm?"

"Be sure not to touch any valuables this time. We're still paying off that vase you broke in the Peterson case…"'

"Don't worry, don't worry! I won't touch anything!"

The three entered the two story house. The place was ransacked by the burglar.

"Okay boys." Vector announced. "Split up."

Charmy checked upstairs, Vector covered the ground floor, and Espio went to check the garage followed by the basement.

Vector took out a magnifying glass and began to inspect every section of the living room.

"Hm… Nope. Nothin here… But there has to be some kind of clue."

Upstairs, Charmy was trying to concentrate on finding something, but was too distracted by a glimmering ceramic cat.

"Ooh… That's a neat cat!"

After expecting the living room, Vector decided to check the kitchen.

"Now if I was a burglar… where would I look first?"

The crocodile inspected the counter for finger prints. Something caught his attention. But it wasn't a finger print. It was a delicious looking cake sitting there.

"That looks good… Maybe we can negotiate a partial discount for that cake."

Back upstairs, Charmy was showing off some of his "expert" investigation skills.

"Come out evidence, where ever you are!" he said well looking under the bed. "Hm… Nothing."

Charmy backed out not looking where he was going and bumped into the stand that had the ceramic cat on it. Charmy let out a yelp as he watched it fall to the ground. Luckily he moved quickly enough and caught it before it hit the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's goin on up there, Charmy?" he heard Vector ask from down stairs.

"Uh… nothing…"

* * *

Back at Dameon's apartment, he had finally woken up but only to be met with a hang over.

"Oh… my head…"

He walked out to the living room and looked around.

"Espio…?"

He wandered into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, where he saw the already prepared breakfast Espio made for him.

"Oh yeah… Espio was doing that thing today…"

He pulled the breakfast out of the fridge and began to heat it in the microwave.

"Wonder where he's going…"

* * *

A few hours passed by and nothing seemed to be turning up. Espio had finally gotten down to the basement. The first thing he noticed was a small window that was broken. It was apparent that this was where the burglar entered.

"There must be something around here that will help us solve this mystery."

He scanned the area trying to find any sort of clue. But it wasn't easy. This burglar was careful not to leave his tracks behind.

"Concentrate… There must be something here."

Ten more minutes passed before something out of the ordinary caught Espio's eye. There was an object partially sticking out from under a file cabinet. He knelt down and pulled the object out. It was a shuriken star. Espio let out a gasp. This wasn't just any shuriken. This shuriken once belonged to him, until he gave it to someone special.

"No… It can't be…"

The memories flood back to Espio as he recalled his and Dameon's one month anniversary. Dameon had taken all the cash he had and treated Espio to dinner at a fancy restaurant. Espio had already bought a few things for Dameon already, but he felt that he really out done himself. He thought one more gift was in order. One that was really close to his heart.

_"Dameon… Words cannot express out thankful I am that you took me to such a lovely place."_

_ "Eh. You don't have to say anything. The smile on your face is all the thanks I need."_

Espio giggled a bit.

_"But really, I want to give you something else."_

_"Another gift? Come on. You're spoiling me now_." he chuckled.

The purple chameleon grabbed the black chameleon's hand and placed a small box in it. He let out another laugh before opening it.

_ "A ninja star?"_

_ "Yes. That shuriken belonged to my sensei. He gave it to me on his death bed. He suggested that I give it to someone I really cared about. It means a lot to me as it's the only thing I have that keeps my sensei's memory alive."_

_ "Wow… I don't know what to say… I'm honored that you'd give me something this close to your heart. Thank you, Esp."_

The truth was almost too unbearable to take. Not only was Dameon the one burglarizing these homes, but he was completely careless about the most precious gift Espio had ever given him. The chameleon stared down at the shuriken in his hand as tears formed in his eyes.

"Hey, Espio!" Vector shouted down the stairwell that leads to the basement. "Find anything?"

He didn't respond.

"ESPIO!"

"Uh…" He needed to think. "N-no…"

"Yeah, we haven't had any luck either so far. But keep looking. There might be something there. Meet me upstairs in a couple of hours."

"Okay…"

Espio took the shuriken and put it in the small compartment on his bracelet. He had conflicting thoughts running through his head. As a detective, he swore to uphold the law. But he didn't want to be the one to bust Dameon. Of course if he didn't, he would be breaking the law and could possibly go to jail if anything was discovered.

The chameleon sat in the corner and thought about what he was going to do. He was put in a very uncomfortable position.

_"Why Dameon…?"_ he thought_. "Why would you do this? I thought you wanted to turn over a new leaf… How could you betray me like this?"_

A few hours later, the three detectives met to discuss their findings.

"Well… I couldn't find anything." Vector proclaimed. "Even though the burglar created quite a mess, he didn't seem to leave any evidence behind."

"Yeah… I couldn't find anything either…" Charmy sulked.

"What about you Espio?"

Espio was staring at the ground.

"Something wrong?" Vector asked.

"No…" he said as he looked up.

"Have you've been… crying?"

"No, no. I just got some dust in my eye." he said as he rubbed his eyes with his arm. "It was very dusty down in that basement."

"Oh. Well did you find some evidence?"

"I…"

His heart nearly stopped as he stared into Vector's eyes. Surely he would start ranting about Dameon if he tells him about his discovery. But he would be committing a crime if he didn't. What took only seconds seemed like hours to Espio. He closed his eyes and answered.

"I… didn't find anything… Sorry…"

"Hm… That's alright. You all did good. Let's call it a day. We'll continue our investigation another day."

"Yes…"

"But for now, why don't we treat ourselves to lunch? There's a diner down the street from here."

"Oh boy!" Charmy shouted. "I'm starving!"

"None for me thank you." Espio said quietly. "I'm just going to head home."

"Oh come on Espio!" Charmy said as he grabbed his arm. "We never get to hang out anymore. Come and eat with us!"

"It won't take that long." Vector said. "Come on. It's my treat. I wanna show my thanks for the hard work you put in today."

"I don't think I am deserving of it…"

"Nonsense! Let's go!" he said as he started shoving Espio down the street with his palm.

Meanwhile, Dameon was becoming more and more irritated. He didn't like Espio being out of his sight for too long. To cope with it, he started to drink.

"He's taking way too long…" he said as he popped open another beer. "What does he expect me to do all day?"

The chameleon settled himself on the couch and then guzzled down the beer. He threw the empty bottle across the room in aggravation.

"He's doing it just to make me angry…"

Dameon tended to get extremely paranoid when he drank. He believed that every inconvenience he had was done on purpose to make him mad. He slumped back into the couch and turned on the television. Hopefully that would get Espio off his mind. He grabbed another beer from the table as he tuned in to one of his favorite shows.

* * *

Down at the diner, the Chaotix were enjoying their lunch. All except Espio, that is. He was so overwhelmed with guilt that his appetite disappeared.

"Hey Espio." Charmy said. "How come you're not eating your lunch? You feeling sick or something?"

"No… It's not that. I'm just not hungry right now."

"I get what this is about…" Vector said.

Espio's heart jumped in his throat, feeling that Vector had figured it out. Sweat began to form on his face.

"You… do?"

"Of course. It's so obvious."

Espio braced himself.

"You're feeling guilty because you couldn't find any evidence. Am I right?"

"Huh… Oh um, yes."

"I told you not to worry about it. You did your best. Now come on, eat up."

The chameleon reluctantly began to pick at his lunch.

* * *

Espio arrived home around three o' clock. He had a lot on his mind that he wanted to discuss with Dameon. He unlocked the door and entered the apartment. He saw his lover sprawled across the couch. He picked his head up when he heard Espio enter.

"Sheesh… What took you so long?"

Espio noticed the beer bottles on the coffee table.

"Have you been drinking again?"

"I was lonely… I didn't know what else to do… You were out there fooling around and I was here by myself."

"I wasn't fooling around. I was working. You knew I was going to be out for a while…"

"Hmph… What ever…"

"Look, we need to talk."

"Can we do this later? I'm watching something…"

"It can't wait. Meet me in the kitchen, now."

Dameon sighed heavily and picked himself off the couch. Both he and Espio sat at the kitchen table. There was silence for about a minute as the purple chameleon stared at his lover in disbelief. Dameon seemed aloof though.

"So Dameon… How's my sensei's shuriken doing? Are you taking good care of it?"

"Wha… Oh yeah… It's- it's fine."

"Where is it?"

"Um… In my room…"

"Can you get it for me?"

"Um… I… err…"

Espio crossed his arms and gave a cold stare to Dameon.

"Okay… Don't get mad… I sorta… lost it…"

"So you just lied to me…"

"Come on… Don't do this…"

Espio removed the compartment from his bracelet and took out the shuriken.

"Oh look… you found it. See. Everything's okay then…"

"Everything is FAR from okay. Do you know where I found it?"

"Uh…"

"At one of the burglarized homes that Vector, Charmy, and I investigated today. Now, can you tell me how it got there?"

"Probably… the guy who found the ninja star also broke into the house…"

"Oh really?"

"What are you getting at…? You think I broke into that house?"

"I know that you weren't here on the date of the burglary. Can you tell me where you were that night?"

"I… I was… at the market."

"But you told me you went to the pool hall that night?"

"…"

"Just stop lying already! Tell me the truth, Dameon! You did burglarize that home, didn't you!? Be honest with me!"

"… We needed the money…"

"How could you Dameon…?" Espio said as a tear fell from his eye. "You said you were going to change…"

"You don't understand…"

"What don't I understand? You betrayed my trust… And to add insult to injury, you misplaced one of my most precious possessions in the process…"

"So… Is Scaly coming to get me…? Bet he's all 'I told ya he was bad!'."

"I didn't tell him… He knows nothing about this…"

"He doesn't? You mean… you covered for me?"

"Please don't say it like that…"

"But that's exactly what you did. Man… I owe you one."

"You don't even care, do you? Do you know the kind of hell you put me through today? I lied to my best friends and broke the law... I'm mortified right now…"

"Espio… Look… I'm sorry that you had to find out this way… I truly am grateful for what you did for me. There's no point in telling anyone about this. It's just going to get us both in trouble."

"So I can just feel this way forever… I think it would be best if I told the truth…"

"Are you… crazy? They'll throw you in jail! Jail is not a good place. I spent a year in there."

"Then why are you doing things that will get you thrown in there!?"

"Look it won't happen again. I was just desperate."

"Desperate five different times? How do I know this won't happen again?"

"…I don't need this right now… I'm going out…"

Dameon left the kitchen and went for his belt he had on chair.

"So you're just going to walk away from me? This is serious. How do you expect me to trust you again?"

Dameon did not answer him and headed for the door.

"I'm talking to you!"

Espio grabbed Dameon's arm from behind.

"Let go!"

He swung his arm backwards hard and Espio fell back and hit the floor.

"Oww…" Espio moaned.

"I need time to think, okay. Just leave me alone. I'll be back later. Just trust me, okay?"

Dameon slammed the door behind him. Espio picked himself off the floor and sat on the couch where he buried his face in his hands.

_"I want to trust you Dameon… Really I do... But you're making it impossible for me to do that…"_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7. This is where things get violent.

* * *

About a couple of weeks had passed since Espio had discovered that Dameon was the one who burglarized the homes in the area. He still hadn't told anyone about the matter. He hoped that Dameon had truly learned his lesson and wouldn't do it ever again. Because of this, things had been pretty heated between the two chameleons lately.

Besides that, Espio had been real busy working with his teammates lately. Dameon felt that not enough time was being spent with him. This made him irritated, and caused him to lash out at the most minute thing. Such as a teacup being in the sink.

"ESPIO!! GET IN HERE!!"

Espio was in the middle of cleaning the bathroom.

"ESPIO!!"

The purple chameleon sighed and dropped the toilet brush. He met Dameon in the kitchen.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You tell me…" he said while holding up the cup.

"It's a cup…"

"Yes. I know it's a damn cup. What's it doin in the damn sink when it should be put away!?"

"I'm sorry. I forgot about it."

"Yeah. This is the fourth time you forgot about it."

"Second."

"Excuse me?"

"It's only the second time I did it. In fact, you do it more than I do."

"Are you telling me I don't know what I'm talking about? How dare you try to turn this on me?!"

"I'm not trying to do that. It's just a cup. It's nothing to get this angry over."

Dameon threw the cup on the floor, smashing it to pieces.

"What'd you do that for!?"

"Clean it up."

"Are you serious!?"

"What's a matter? I thought it's nothing to get angry over."

"You're being very immature right now!"

The phone began ringing. Both chameleons stared each other down.

"Don't answer it. We're not done talking yet."

"Dameon that could be my job. I need to answer it."

Dameon turned his head the other way as Espio picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Espio said.

"Hey Esp. Vector here. I was wonderin if you could do somethin for me."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Well we need to get in to this facility to gather evidence. I want you to create a distraction while me and Charmy sneak into the building and gather evidence. With your invisibility trick, there's no way that the guards will know where the attacks are coming from."

"Sounds like a plan."

"So are you in?"

"Yes."

"Good. This is a risky mission. Those guards are heavily armed and it would be very difficult to get past them without your help. I'm counting on you to be there."

"Not a problem."

"Alright. See ya later."

Espio hung up the phone and headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To my job. It's very important that I be there. It's a risky mission."

"I don't believe I'm done talking to you."

"Save it for when I get home. I'm sorry. But someone in this house needs to bring in the money."

Dameon's face turned red with anger. He felt that Espio was being disrespectful towards him. As Espio opened the door, Dameon rushed over and slammed it.

"Wha… what are you doing?"

"I said… I wasn't done talking."

"Dameon, you're being silly. Now please, let me through."

As Espio reached for the doorknob once more, Dameon gripped his arm tightly and twisted him around.

"Ow! Hey, that hurts!"

"So you think this is a joke, do you?"

Dameon grabbed both of Espio's arms and then slammed him against the wall. Espio's eyes widened in fear as he looked into Dameon's rage-filled eyes.

"This isn't a joke. I expect you to let me finish speaking before you leave my presence."

"Dameon… stop… You're hurting me…"

Dameon wrapped both of his hands around Espio's neck, cutting off his airway. Espio struggled to get free from Dameon's death grip. But his attempts were futile. He made short, shallow gasps trying to take in air. Though he was unable to speak, Espio was pleading with Dameon to stop through the expression in his eyes. But Dameon did not seem to be fazed by it. His grip only seemed to be getting tighter.

Espio's vision was beginning to become dark from the outside in. He didn't think he'd stay conscious for much longer. His eyes started to close as he began to slip into unconsciousness. Just before that happened, Dameon released his grip on Espio, letting him fall to the floor. Espio started to cough shortly after, taking in long breaths of air. He looked up at Dameon when he saw his shadow cover him.

"Come on!" Dameon said as he lifted up Espio up by the arm.

Dameon dragged him over to the bathroom and shoved him inside.

"You'll stay here until I say you can come out."

Dameon slammed the door and rigged the doorknob so it was impossible to open from the inside.

Espio was still trying to comprehend what just happened. He was in shock. He rubbed his neck checking to see if anything was broken. Everything seemed intact but the vertebrae were very sore. He began to cry as the reality of the situation finally set in. He was just choked and now being held against his will not by an enemy, but by the man he loved. Espio lied on the bathroom floor and curled up in a ball in a pathetic attempt to keep warm. He didn't dare turn on the lights for fear that Dameon would come back. He just laid in wait. Waiting for the uncertain to happen. By this time, he had completely forgotten about his friends who needed him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Vector and Charmy continued to wait outside the facility for Espio to show up.

"That's strange… He's late." Vector said.

"He'll be here. Don't worry about it." Charmy said.

They continued to wait until about an hour and a half passed by. There was still no sign of Espio.

"Where can he be…?" Vector asked.

"Maybe he got lost…"

"Espio never gets lost… Something's up."

"Should we call him?"

"Good idea."

Vector got out his cell phone only to discover that the batteries were dead.

"Crap… No battery life…"

"Maybe we should just go home…"

"Maybe. But the client was very intent on having this evidence by tonight. And he's willing to pay a lot of money for it. We may never get this kind a chance again."

"Well then, let's try to do this without Espio."

"It'll be a little hard though..."

"Come on! We can do it! We're Team Chaotix after all!"

"Yeah… Okay. Let's see what we can get."

First, Vector had Charmy fly up to an open window that was a few stories off the ground. He gave him a rope so that he could tie it to something sturdy and he could climb up. Charmy found a thick pipe near the wall and tied the rope around it. He signaled to Vector that everything was okay. Slowly but surely, Vector climbed up the side of the building.

Once inside, the two inspected their surroundings. The room they were in seemed to be a cleaning closet.

"Were do we go fir…"

"Shh! Quiet Charmy…" Vector whispered as his hand covered Charmy's mouth. "We have to be very quiet, okay?"

Charmy nodded.

"Just follow me…"

The exited the closet and scanned the hallway for guards. It was all clear. Vector motioned with his arm so that Charmy would know where to go. The moved quickly but quietly down the hallway. All of a sudden, they spotted an elongated shadow that was coming their way. The two hid themselves in a gap in the wall. The guard walked right by them without noticing. The two breathed a sigh of relief and continued onwards.

They eventually came to a room with a pad-locked door. Charmy used his stinger to pick at the lock. It clicked open and they were able to get in. They noticed some file folders laid out on a desk. Vector and Charmy moved in slowly and began browsing through the files.

"Heh… I think this is just what we need…" Vector said.

Vector asked Charmy to be on the look out for any guards. Meanwhile, he began to take pictures of each file with a small camera. This went on for about a couple minutes.

Charmy was beginning to become bored and rolled his eyes a little as he waited by the door. Then he spotted a few shadowy figures coming his way. Panicked, he zipped into the office and alerted Vector.

"Someone's coming." he whispered. We have to hide."

Vector put the files as they were. He grabbed Charmy and hid under the desk.

"Hey… What's this?" the guard said noticing that the lock was unlocked.

He and three other guards busted into the room with flashlights beaming. Vector and Charmy did not make a sound. The guards inspected the room for a few minutes. Once they couldn't find anything, they retreated.

"Alert the lieutenant. We suspect that there are intruders here."

Vector and Charmy waited about five minutes until they were sure that the guards were gone.

"I say we take what we got and get out of here…" Vector whispered.

He saw another window on the other side of the room. His plan was to use Charmy as a parachute so that they could escape. They were about to jump out the window when…

"FREEZE!"

The turned around to see the three guards who were pointing rifles at them.

"Don't you dare move. Step away from the window!"

"Okay… okay…" Vector said. "Let's not do anything hasty…"

The two moved slowly moved away from the window with their hands in the air. They were in hot water now. Vector had to think of something quick to get out of this mess. It then came to his mind that he had one of the loudest set of headphones known to mankind.

"I said freeze!" the guard said when he saw Vector reaching for his head set.

"Relax… I'm just taking them off so I can hear you better… Look. I'm putting them right here on the floor. No tricks you see."

He placed them on the floor like he said he would and resumed his position. He gave a small wink to Charmy as he put his hands up. A few seconds later, a decibel breaking blast of music came from the headphones. The noise made the guards drop their rifles and cover their ears. Charmy was covering his as well. Vector grabbed him and plowed through the three guards.

The crocodile barreled down the hallway in order to get to the room in which they entered. By now, alarms began to sound after being triggered by the loud music.

"Espio owes me a new set of headphones!"

There were more guards coming from behind them. They began to fire on sight.

"They're shootin at us, Vector!"

"We're gonna be okay! Don't worry!"

They finally reached the cleaning closet. The rope was still tied to the pipe. Vector grabbed the rope and went out the window backwards. He shimmied down the side the building as if he were mountain climbing. About half way down, the guards pointed the rifles from the window and began to shoot. Vector's main concern now was Charmy. He made sure to shield him from the on coming bullets the rest of the way down. Vector's scales were so sturdy that they acted similar to a bullet-proof vest. Of course, this didn't mean that they didn't hurt.

Vector decided to slide down the rope, despite the risk of getting serious rope burn, in order to reach the ground faster. But rope burn was better than getting killed. The two hit the ground hard but Vector made sure to tuck and roll. He regained his footing and ran away from the base. Once he felt they were far enough away, he decided to take a rest. Panting hard, he collapsed on to the soft grass on his back, still hugging Charmy.

"You… okay…?" he asked.

"Yeah… That was scary though…"

"I'm feelin ya…"

"Vector…?"

"… Yes…?"

"You can let go of me now… It's getting harder to breathe."

Vector noticed that he was hugging Charmy just a bit too tightly.

"Oh… Sorry…" he said as he released the bee.

After he caught his breath, the crocodile moved into a sitting position.

"Wowee…" Charmy exclaimed. "We were almost toast…"

"Burnt toast is more like it."

Charmy's eye caught the crimson liquid dripping from Vector's arm.

"Vector… You're hurt…"

"Huh…?" Vector looked on his left arm. "Ah that's just great…"

Vector was so worked up during the escape that he hadn't noticed that a bullet had grazed his arm. The scales on his arms and middle are not as strong as the ones on the rest of his body. He put his hand over the wound when he finally started to feel the pain.

"You gonna be okay…?"

"Yeah… Eventually. It's just a minor flesh wound."

"Sorry Vector… Maybe that wouldn't have happened if you weren't protecting me…"

"Don't be ridiculous. You would have been a goner for sure. This is a small price to pay."

"Well at least you got those pictures."

"The pictures."

Vector checked on the camera that he kept in his glove. Unfortunately, it was damaged during the escape.

"Ah dammit! Everything I took is probably gone… This is a failed mission…"

Vector started to kick at the ground in anger.

"You know… There wouldn't have been any problem if Espio had shown up… I can't believe he flaked on us."

"Why wouldn't he come…?"

"I don't know. But I'm gonna find out. Let's go home. I have a little phone call I'd like to make."

* * *

Back at Dameon's apartment, the purple chameleon laid in darkness. He was trying hard to fall asleep so that he had some sort of escape from this real life nightmare.

_"How could this be happening…?" _he thought_. "What have I've gotten myself into… I love him so much… Why would he hurt me like this…?"_

_

* * *

_

Does anyone else find it completely ironic that Vector fears for Charmy's saftey around Dameon, yet will take him where he can get shot? XD Yay for plot holes._  
_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8. There might not be another one for a while. Sorry guys. Hope you likey.

* * *

Dameon was relaxing on the couch and enjoying a beer while watching television. He acted as if everything was normal even though Espio was locked up in the cold bathroom. He felt that he was justified in what he had done and did not feel bad about it whatsoever.

"It's the only way he'll learn…" he told himself.

Then the phone began to ring. He let it ring for about three times before letting out a sigh and getting up. He picked it up.

"Yeah, who is it?"

_"Where's Espio!?" _said an angry voice on the other side.

"Who wants to know?"

_"'Scaly' wants to know!"_

"Oh, if it isn't Vec. Something bugging ya?"

_"Save it! I called to talk to Espio, not you! Now put him on the phone!"_

"Yeah, he's not here right now."

_"That may work on Charmy but not me! I know he's there!"_

"Well aren't you the smart one. Look, he ain't going to do your dirty work anymore. As of now, he's done with the Chaotix. Good-bye."

Dameon slammed the phone back on the hook and then ripped it out of the wall so that he wouldn't receive anymore calls.

"Ooh… That bastard!" Vector yelled. "I'm going over there and giving him a piece of my mind!"

A little while later, Espio had almost fallen asleep on the bathroom floor when the door swung open.

"Alright, you're done. Get up."

Espio just stared at Dameon, fearing to do anything.

"I SAID GET UP!!"

The purple chameleon quickly stood to his feet. Dameon grabbed his hand and led him over to the living room. He sat him on the couch.

"What have you learned…?"

Espio just stared down at his hands, trying hard not to make eye contact with Dameon.

"Answer me, dammit."

"I… I… I'm sorry… I won't… w… walk away from you while you're talking… ever again…"

"And you're also quitting the Chaotix."

The purple chameleon looked up.

"I don't need them distracting you anymore. I'll take care of getting the money from now on."

"Can't I… see them…?"

"That would be missing the whole point, now wouldn't it?"

"You mean… you don't want me to be friends with them anymore?"

"You don't need friends. I'm the only friend you need. They're filling your head with nonsense."

"But…"

The black chameleon towered over the feeble purple chameleon. His hands were placed on the back of the couch as he stared down at Espio with the same hateful expression. Espio sunk back into the couch in fear.

"You don't need them. I know what's best for you. You'll thank me someday."

Both chameleons then heard a pounding at the door.

"Open up!!" screamed a familiar voice.

_"Vector…"_ Espio thought.

"Ah good. Scaly is here. You can tell him yourself."

"Dameon… please… Don't make me…"

"I swear I'm gonna bust down this door!!" Vector ranted.

"If you loved me, you do it."

Dameon shoved Espio to the door.

"Answer it… now…"

Espio reluctantly opened the door. Vector had his fist in the air, apparently getting ready to knock again.

"So there ya are…"

"What are you doing here…?"

"Oh gee, I don't know. I was under the impression that you were going to cause a distraction for us. But because you didn't, me and Charmy nearly didn't make it out alive. Oh, and you may have noticed the stylish shoulder wound I got from one of the bullets grazing me."

Espio gasped as Vector showed him the now bandaged wound on his left shoulder.

"I'm… sorry…"

"I did call here earlier but Prince Charming over there hung up on me. Giving me this nonsense that you're quitting the Chaotix."

Dameon looked up with a cocky smirk on his face.

"You sure look different without your headphones on." Dameon said. "Did you finally realize how stupid you look wearing them all the time?"

"I had to use them to get out of a sticky situation, thank you very much."

"Right… Don't you have something to tell Vector, Espio?"

Vector looked down and Espio and noticed something. Bruises had begun to show where Dameon had choked him earlier.

"What… happened to your neck?"

"You shouldn't have come here, Vector." Espio quietly said. "I'm sorry about not showing up. But you're going to have to learn to take on dangerous missions without me…"

The crocodile continued to stare at the purple chameleon.

"What Dameon said is true… I'm quitting the Chaotix… again... This time for good."

"What did he do to you…?" Vector asked quietly.

"You heard him Vec." Dameon said. "He doesn't want to be part of your team anymore."

"Hey, how bout you shut-up for a second before I make you shut-up?"

"Vector please…" Espio said, trying hard not to tear up. "Just go. I don't want to see you anymore."

"Espio, don't do this. I know this isn't you. He's forcing you to do this. Just come with me. Don't be afraid of him. I'll protect you. We'll get you outta here and get you some help."

"NO! I'm not leaving! I know what I'm doing! Just get out of here!"

"So… you're just gonna give in to this guy's crap? I thought you were stronger than this…"

"I love Dameon. And Dameon loves me… He knows what's best… Just go now… Please…"

Vector felt sick to his stomach. He did not want to leave Espio in this situation. But what could he do? Espio was responsible for himself. If he tried to take him away from Dameon, he'd most likely just go back to him. Vector never felt so defeated.

"If this is what you want to do, fine… But I believe you're making a huge mistake. You've… been a good friend over the years. I'm sorry you have to leave us."

Vector didn't want to make it harder than it already was. He turned his back to Espio and walked down the hall without saying anything else. Espio's eyes began to well up with tears as he watched his best friend walk way. He lipped the words "Good-bye" as Vector walked further down the hall.

_"Sayonara, Espio the Chameleon…"_ Vector thought. A solitary tear fell from his eye as he rubbed his nose with his index finger.

After he was sure Vector was out of sight, Dameon whispered into Espio's ear.

"Forget about him… He was only weighing you down."

He shoved Espio back into the apartment and shut the door.

Vector arrived back home around eleven o' clock. It started to rain on the way home so he was glad he got back before it got any worse. He was hoping that Charmy was asleep so he wouldn't have to break the news to him tonight. But sure enough…

"Vector?"

The crocodile turned and saw the bee on the couch.

"Thought I said to go to bed… Though I can't blame you. We've had one heck of a night."

"Did you talk to Espio?"

Vector sighed.

"I'm not really sure if it was Espio I was talking to."

"Huh…?"

He sat on the couch and put a hand on Charmy's shoulder.

"What's wrong…?" Charmy asked.

"You know Espio cares about you deeply right?"

"Yeah… I guess."

"There's no easy way to say this… But… I'm afraid Espio won't be working with us anymore…"

"What? Why? I thought everything was better between you two!? What happened?"

"We didn't get into a fight… Dameon's making him quit…"

"What do you mean by 'making him'…? He can't do that."

"He can if Espio allows him to…"

"He's still are friend right?" Charmy asked as he stood up and grabbed Vector's chain in desperation. "He'll still come over and stuff… right…?"

Vector slowly turned and looked into Charmy's eyes that were now filled with tears.

"Right!?"

"I'm… sorry…"

"No… That can't be…"

Charmy sprang into the air and then headed to the front door.

"Wait, what are you doin'!?"

"Going to ask him why!"

"No! Charmy! Come back here!"

It was now pouring rain outside. But that didn't seem to faze Charmy in the least. Vector followed close behind, screaming his name.

"Charmy! Charmy!!"

But he continued onward. He was determined to get an answer from Espio and did not want to stop. Lightning could be seen flashing among the clouds above. One bolt struck the ground just feet in front of Charmy.

"AHH!" he screamed as he was forced backwards by the heat of the lightning.

The bee crashed face first into the ground. Not knowing what else to do, he began to cry in fear. There was no way he was getting to Dameon's apartment now.

"Charmy!" yelled Vector after spotting him on the ground.

He lifted Charmy gently from the ground and held him.

"Are you okay?"

"He doesn't care about me…" Charmy wailed. "He wouldn't just forget about me if he did…"

Vector embraced the boy in a hug.

"It's not like that Charmy… He doesn't want to forget about you… He's just afraid. He doesn't know what else to do."

"The Espio I knew wouldn't dare let someone push him around! He'd stand up to them and fight!"

"This is a completely different story… Normally that would be true, but… he's in love. And when you're in love, you don't always make the best decisions…"

"Love… If that's love what Espio's going through then I don't EVER want any!"

"Don't say that! That's not what real love is! At least on Dameon's part. Someone who loves another doesn't force that person to do anything they don't want to."

"Why…? Why did this happen to Espio...? It's not fair…"

Charmy continued to cry into Vector's chest. He put his hand on the back of his head to comfort him.

"You're right… It isn't fair…"

The crocodile carried the bee home as the rain beat down on the both of them. He was hoping to get him home quickly so that he wouldn't catch a cold.

* * *

Poor Charmy... Hope to here feedback ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

Finished this faster than I thought.

Enjoy

* * *

In a more calm part of the city, Vanilla the Rabbit lives in a small cottage with her daughter, Cream the Rabbit. This particular morning, Cream was out shopping with Amy and Vanilla was by herself. She was busy washing dishes when the phone started ringing.

"Oh, who could that be?" she asked herself.

She took off the rubber gloves she was wearing and went to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"… Hi, um… Miss Vanilla…?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"It's me… Charmy…"

"Oh! Hello Charmy. I couldn't recognize your voice. You sound different than usual. Is something wrong?"

"I don't feel good…"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Honey… What's wrong?"

"…I… ACHOO! … I can't stop sneezing…"

"Dear me… You poor thing… You should get in bed and have Vector take care of you."

"… I don't think he can… That's why I called you…"

"He can't?"

"Yeah… I think he's drunk…"

"What!? Where is he?"

"… In his office… He's passed out on his desk… Can you please come over…? Pretty please…? I don't want to be alone…"

"Of course I will, Sweetie. Now go lie down somewhere. I'll be there in a half an hour."

"Okay… a… AAACHOO! Thank you…"

Both hung up their phones.

"That is completely irresponsible of Vector." Vanilla said as she gathered her things. "At the same time though… that's very unlike him… And why would Charmy call me first and not Espio?"

Vanilla arrived at Chaotix HQ a little over a half an hour later. Charmy answered the door for her. He was very pale in the face and had trouble staying airborne. His wings were not moving as fast as usual.

"Hi…" he said weakly.

"Oh… Charmy. You don't look well at all…" she said as she put her hand on his head. "You feel really hot too…"

"ACHOO!!"

Vanilla helped Charmy over to the couch and pulled a blanket over him.

"I'm sorry… ACHOO!... For bothering you…"

"No, no. It's okay. That was very grown up of you to call when you need help."

She fetched a cold flannel from the refrigerator and placed it on Charmy's forehead.

"Now I'm going to start cooking some vegetable soup for you. You just try to relax for now. And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

"Thank you… Miss Vanilla…"

She gave him a smile before leaving him be. While walking to the kitchen, Vanilla's eye caught the door to Vector's office. She decided to find out for herself exactly what was going on with him.

She cracked open the office door. Like Charmy told her, the crocodile was keeled over on his desk, obviously drunk. Angered by this, she marched right over to him and began shaking him.

"Vector the Crocodile, you wake up this instant!"

After about a minute of shaking, Vector finally began to stir.

"Umm… Leave me alone… I'll tell you when I've had enough… Beat it… ya bum…"

"VECTOR!"

Vector's eyes began to open slowly.

"I said g…g…g… AH! M-m-m-miss Vanilla!!" he said as he picked himself off the desk, feeling embarrassed about what he had just said. "I-I-I'm so sorry!! I didn't know it was you!"

The rabbit just leered at him with her arms crossed. She then gazed down at the empty bottles of booze on the floor. Vector scratched his head, trying not to make eye contact with her. Nothing scared Vector more than an angry woman.

"You should be ashamed of yourself…" she scolded. "Becoming this inebriated with a child in the house. Do you know why I'm here?"

Vector shook his head with a pathetic smile on his face.

"Charmy called me. He told me he didn't feel well and couldn't get you to wake up. So I came over to help him."

"Charmy's sick? Gosh… I am so sorry you had to come here… I'm so embarrassed right now… I don't know what came over me…"

"Looks like about a few bottles of alcohol… What were you thinking? You're not even 21 yet."

"I truly am sorry… This isn't me… I was just…stressed…"

"This isn't the best way to deal with your stress. This could kill you. Do… you have a drinking problem?"

"Oh n-n-n-o! This is the first time this happened. I… I guess Espio's resignation upset me more than I thought…"

"Resignation? I thought he was back on the team."

"He was for a little while but…"

Vector paused as he remembered the disturbing marks around Espio's neck.

"I'm so worried about him… His boyfriend has him completely wrapped around his finger now… And the relationship could be the end of Espio…"

"What are you talking about? Are you saying he beats him?"

The crocodile nodded.

"Last night, Espio failed to show up to a mission… When I went to his apartment, he was completely unlike himself… And he had these marks around his neck, as if someone choked him… I tried to get him to leave with me but he refused..."

"Oh my gosh…"

"I knew it… I was a fool for not trying to fix it sooner."

"How could you have fixed it? There's nothing that can be done if Espio refuses to be helped."

"I'm so grateful that you took time out of your day to help Charmy. You're a kind soul, Miss Vanilla. But… you don't have to stay here. I'll take over from here."

When Vector stood up, he felt the world spin around him. He had to grab his desk to stay balanced.

"Whoa…"

"You are in no condition to take care of someone. You need to sleep off this hangover. I'll stay until you feel well enough."

"You'd do that for me?" he said while blushing.

"Not you. Charmy. I think you're old enough to take care of yourself."

"Oh… Heh… Of course."

* * *

Espio woke up late in the afternoon. He barely got any sleep during the night and finally went to sleep in the early morning hours. The first thing he did was look at his self in the mirror. The bruises looked much worse than they did the night before.

Espio perked his head up when he heard the sound of laughing coming from the other room. Curious, he headed for the living room. There, he saw Dameon and a few of his friends watching television. Smoke filled the room from their cigarettes.

"Well… look who's finally up." said Dameon.

The purple chameleon coughed a little as the cigarette smoke made its way into his lungs. Dameon's friends, an iguana and a monitor lizard, looked up at him.

"Have a rough night?" the iguana said in a snicker.

"Yea." said the monitor lizard. "You're usually up way before Dameon is."

"I… didn't sleep well last night…"

"Wasn't I nice not to wake you up?" Dameon brought up. "I even made my own breakfast."

"Yeah, If you call going to Burger King making breakfast." the iguana said in a laugh.

"Hey, shut-up."

"Jeez… What happened to yer neck?" the monitor lizard asked Espio.

Espio looked surprised by the question and placed his hands over the bruises. He noticed Dameon leering at him.

"We gotta little carried away in the sack last night." said the black chameleon. "He's alright though… aren't ya?"

The purple chameleon felt extremely embarrassed. But he feared what would happen if he told the truth. The black chameleon continued to leer at him. Espio responded by nodding his head.

"You da man, Dameon." the iguana said while raising his beer in the air. "Hey, Espio? Do you think I can have my turn now?" he said before licking his lips.

Espio gasped.

"Come on. I promise I'll go easy on you."

Dameon punched the iguana in the shoulder hard.

"Shut your damn mouth. He belongs to me."

"Sharing is caring."

Feeling disgusted by the iguana's words, the flustered purple chameleon attempted to exit the room when Dameon called out.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"…To the bedroom…"

"Nah-uh, not so fast. I waited forever for you to get up. Make us something to eat already, will ya?"

"Can you at least ask nicely…?"

Dameon appeared to be a little enraged.

"I don't have to ask 'nicely'. You should just do it. I already gave you a huge break. Now get in that kitchen and make something."

Not wanting anymore conflict, Espio just did what he was told and went into the kitchen.

"Whoo! Shake that tail!" the iguana called out.

Espio ignored the cat calls and went into the kitchen, slamming the sliding door behind him.

"Huh… he can be a real pain in the ass sometimes." Dameon murmured.

"I'd like to be a pain in his ass…" said the iguana.

"I swear to God, if you don't knock it off, I'm gonna throw you out the damn window!"

"Whoa… Testy… Just messing around…"

"Yeah… We all know too well how much you 'mess around'."

"Oh, and what about you? I saw you go into the night club's bathroom with that gecko for like 40 minutes."

"Keep it down!" Dameon whispered. "You want him to hear!?"

The monitor lizard was awfully quiet as he stared at the kitchen door.

Meanwhile, Espio was chopping up some carrots for the meal he was making, nearly on the verge of tears. He didn't even no why he was bothering putting them in there as Dameon would usually eat around them and then throws them away. Espio jumped a little as he heard the kitchen door open. It was the monitor lizard.

"Oh... Hello." Espio said quietly.

"Hey."

"Uh… can I get you something?"

"Naw… I just wanted to apologize for what my friend said. That wuddent right."

"It's okay… I know that's how he is…"

The monitor lizard grabbed a soda from the fridge and cracked it open.

"Couldn't help but notice dat ya seem different than usual."

"I'm just tired… It was a long night."

"Yea… Dameon made dat pretty clear."

Espio continued preparing the meal as the monitor walked around the kitchen.

"Wuz what Dameon said true? Did dose bruises really come from… ya know."

The chameleon paused his carrot chopping.

"What do you mean? Of… course it is the truth."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to impose. It's just… well… Dameon is kinda known for being real rough with his boyfriends. Especially if he's angry."

"I… see… Well I'm… sure that's in his past… None of this was done out of anger."

"F'you say so. But hey uh… If ya eva need to talk about what's eatin ya, you can always talk to me. Out of all of Dameon's boyfriends, I think yer the best one he's had. Not to mention the best cook."

Espio turned and looked at the giant monitor. He gained a small smile on his face.

"Thank you… for your kind words. But everything is fine though. Don't worry about me…"

"Yep, alright. Just wanted to say dat. I'll be headn' back. Thanks for da grub, Espio."

"You're welcome."

The conversation made Espio feel a little bit better. It was nice to be appreciated. Even though the monitor lizard was the largest and most vicious looking of the group, he was the most considerate. He reminded Espio of Vector a little bit. However, the fact that he said that Dameon had done this before made him uneasy.

* * *

Vector slowly rolled his eyelids open after taking some time to sleep off his hangover. He felt a bit better than before and decided to get up. He looked over at his alarm clock and was a little surprised to see that it was a quarter to four.

"Better let Miss Vanilla know."

He came down the stairs and saw Charmy resting on the couch. He appeared to be sleeping. Vector tip-toed over to have a better look. The area around Charmy's nose was very irritated.

"Poor little guy…"

Vanilla entered the room from the kitchen.

"Feeling a little better?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah… I just wish he would too."

"It's just a cold. It should go away in a couple days."

"Guess I didn't get him out of the rain quick enough…"

"That storm last night? What was he doing out there?"

"Trying to get to Espio."

The rabbit's eyes expressed a sort of sadness.

"You should probably head home now. I don't want your daughter to get worried about ya."

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yep. Thank you so much for coming down here. I don't think there is anything we can do to show our thanks."

"There is one thing."

Vanilla reached out and grabbed Vector's arms.

"Just promise you won't do that to yourself again. If you're feeling depressed, you can always talk to me."

"Sure."

The rabbit gave the crocodile a quick hug. Vector's face turned a reddish hue.

"Take care of yourself."

She released him and went to get her things. Vector started to fan himself with his hand.

"I hope Charmy feels better soon… And that Espio realizes what wonderful friends he has."

"Heh… Thanks. See ya later, Miss Vanilla."

The rabbit gave him a smile before heading out the door.

"Mmm… Vector…?"

The crocodile turned around and saw the bee beginning to wake up.

"Hey Buddy…" he said gently as he approached. "How are ya feelin…?"

"I… A… ACHOO!!"

"I guess not too good, huh?"

Charmy shook his head.

"Sorry for not helping you earlier. I got… a little carried away last night."

"You're… not mad I called Miss Vanilla, are you?"

"No, no… Though… I wasn't too keen on the lecture she gave me…"

Charmy went into a sneezing fit. Vector grabbed a few tissues from the box on the table. He placed the tissue over the boy's nose.

"Blow it out."

The bee blew as hard as he could into the tissue. Vector disposed of it after he was finished. Charmy felt a little light headed afterwards and laid back on pillow.

"Easy now. Want some more soup?"

Again, he shook his head.

"I'm not hungry…"

"Well is there anything I do for ya?"

"Can… you stay with me and watch T.V….? I just… don't want to be alone."

Vector smiled slightly.

"Of course I will. What ever you want."

"Thanks…" Charmy smiled back.

The crocodile moved the recliner next to the couch to be closer to the bee. He then flicked on the television and began channel surfing.

"Ooh, that one…" Charmy said. "I like this show…"

Of course it was a show that Vector loathed. But he wanted to help Charmy feel better. And if that meant enduring a half hour of idiotic yammering, then so be it.

"Alright then…"

The two spent the rest of the afternoon watching the television. While Charmy was Vector's main concern for now, Espio was still in the back of his mind.

* * *

Yeah. Another filler chapter. Sorry. Next one will be more exciting as it's the reason why I decided to change the rating to 'M'. Don't miss it xD


	10. Chapter 10

I was going to submit this on Sunday, but I just couldn't wait. I like to keep nice time frames. But yeah.

**Warning. This chapter contains RAPE.** So if you don't like that, don't read the ending. That's why this story is rated 'M'. Hope yall are Sonadow fans too cause there is some of it in the beginning. It is kind of a weird chapter. It goes from fluffy to dark then fluffy again and then back to dark XD

* * *

Today, Sonic and Shadow decided to go on a date to one of Sonic's favorite restaurants. It wasn't what you'd call fancy but the food was good. One of Sonic's favorite dishes was known as the "Double Chili Cheese Dog". Truthfully, Shadow hated the restaurant. But he loved to see how happy Sonic got when he ate there. The two hedgehogs ate outside near the street.

"Man… That was delicious…" Sonic said patting his full stomach after finishing his third double dog.

"I really don't know how you can eat those things…" Shadow said. "Who knows where they get the meat from."

"Who cares? As long as it's good."

Shadow smiled at how cute Sonic looked when he was full.

"You got a little cheese on your cheek."

"Where? Here?"

"Here, let me get it…"

Shadow reached over and gently wiped off the cheese stain on his lover's face with his thumb. Sonic turned bright red in response and smiled.

Then, something caught Shadow's ear.

"Dammit!"

Then there was a crash. The noise seemed to be coming from the nearby alley way.

"What were you thinking!?"

"I was just helping the guy…"

"That voice…" Sonic said. "I know that voice."

"More like flirting…" said the unrecognizable voice.

Shadow and Sonic rose from their seats and went to check out what was happening.

"I wasn't. I would never do that to you."

"Bull crap!"

When the two hedgehogs made it to the alley way, they saw Espio with another chameleon. It came to Sonic's mind that it must be Dameon, the boyfriend Vector told him about.

Dameon picked up a nearby two-by-four and began to beat on the trash cans with it in a rage.

"DAMMIT!!" he screamed.

"Dameon, please stop… You're making a scene."

Dameon whipped around and stared at Espio. His icy blue eyes sent chills down the purple chameleon's spine. It was almost as if he was staring into his soul. Before he knew it, Dameon took the two-by-four and clubbed him in the head with it; so hard that it broke in half. Espio blacked out as he fell to the ground.

Sonic and Shadow were shocked by the sight.

"Hey!!!" they yelled.

Sonic went to face Dameon while Shadow went to check on Espio. Espio quickly came to and saw Shadow's shoes getting closer to him.

"Who the hell are you!?" Dameon demanded.

"I'll ask the questions!" said Sonic. "What the hell is your problem!?"

Shadow picked Espio off of the ground and held him.

"Are you alright?" Shadow asked Espio.

"Uhh… Shadow…?"

"I don't think it's any of your damn business!" Dameon yelled to Sonic.

"It's my business when my friends get hurt! You wanna fight someone? Then fight me!"

"No, don't!" Espio shouted as he attempted to rise to his feet. But he nearly fell over again. The blow to his head left him unbalanced. Shadow caught him before he fell on his face.

"Don't try to get up. You might have a concussion."

"If that's what you want, fine!" Dameon said. "I'll make quick work of you."

"Bring it on!!"

"Please… stop…" Espio pleaded as he started to cry.

"Sonic, enough!" Shadow said.

Sonic turned around to see Espio in tears.

"Please don't fight… I don't want anyone to get hurt over this."

The blue hedgehog dropped his fighting stance and respected Espio's wishes.

"I think it's a little late for that." he said under his breath.

"Aww… what's a matter?" Dameon taunted. "You scared?"

Sonic tightened his fists in anger.

"You're totally not worth my time…"

"Ow…" Espio moaned.

"Come on, Espio." said Shadow. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"He's not going anywhere…" Dameon said.

"This is serious. He needs medical attention."

"It's okay Shadow…" Espio said somberly.

Espio managed to stand up on his own with a little help from Shadow.

"I'll be fine… Really. I just want to go home."

He began to make his way back to Dameon's side.

"No Espio…" Sonic said. "You can't be seriously going back home with him."

"I'm sorry Sonic… But… I love him…"

Espio went in front of Dameon and looked up in his cold eyes.

"I'm so sorry Dameon. I promise it won't happen again…"

"It'd better not…"

"Espio… Be reasonable… Would someone who loves you do something like that…?"

Espio leaned on Dameon for support as he was still a bit dazed. Dameon responded by wrapping an arm around him.

"I suggest you be quiet now." Dameon said to Sonic. "Espio's made his choice. The right choice."

"Sorry for getting you guys into this." Espio said.

The two chameleons then walked deeper into the dark alley until they could not be seen anymore. Sonic continued to stare down the alley way in disgust. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Sonic was so accustomed to beating the tar out of anyone who dare hurt his friends that it was just too much for him. He clenched his fists even tighter and started growling. Shadow put a hand on Sonic's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"I know it's hard… But there's nothing we can do…"

"We should at least call the police…"

"The police can only help if Espio lets them. Domestic violence is complicated. Those who've been abused will usually make excuses for their partner. If we call the police, we might just make things worse."

"Then we should tell Vector. Or something. I don't know!"

Shadow wrapped Sonic in a hug.

"So much for the good meal… Now I think I might throw it up…"

"Relax Sonic… Just pray for him. Pray that he'll see the light before it's too late."

* * *

At the Chaotix head quarters, Vector had just finished wrapping up a case and was taking a look at the check his client had given him.

"One Grand… Not too bad for a mission of this caliber. Looks like we can have that big dinner tomorrow after all."'

The crocodile's content expression turned into a sad one as he slumped onto his desk. He then let out a sigh.

"Then why is it that I'm so miserable…?"

Vector's eyes turned to a photo he kept on his desk. It was a picture of himself, Charmy, and Espio on their vacation in Hawaii. Vector had to save up money for a year to go on that trip. But it was worth it. He and the others had a great time.

He missed Espio dearly. He hoped and prayed that he wasn't suffering at the hands of Dameon. Even though he knew it was far from the truth. Dameon… Oh how he wished he could just be alone in a room with him for one minute. Vector often wishes that he "took care of him" sooner. What fueled his hatred for Dameon was not only that he was cruel to Espio, but also the fact that he reminded Vector of himself when he was younger.

Contrary to popular belief, Vector was not always on the right side of the law. As a teenager, he was a well-known trouble maker. Many of his crimes where similar to Dameon's; burglary, vandalism, fraudulent scheming. He had absolutely nothing going for him and took it out on society. He also led a gang at one time. His life finally turned around after he spent some time in prison for his crimes. The detective that busted Vector had left an impression on him in more ways than one. Once he was out of prison, he vowed to get on the right track and become a great detective himself. Even though he had his fair share of bad behavior when he was younger, Vector still believed that he was better than Dameon.

"Bastard…" he murmured.

Not wanting to think about the black chameleon any longer, Vector reached in his desk and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He used to smoke a lot when he was a teenager, but quit because it began to take a toll on his voice. He had been clean for a while until the stress caused by the recent events drove him to do it once more.

Vector stepped outside of the house to smoke. He did not want Charmy to see him do it. He was already in trouble for his little binge drink session not too long ago. Vector sat on the stoop outside and lit up. When he was younger, he was able smoke an entire cigarette in one drag; sometimes a few at the same time. He checked to see if he still had this talent. But he only made it half way before coughing. Seemed he was a little rusty.

"Damn…" he said while trying to clear his throat.

He finished up the one he had and grabbed a new one.

"Let's see if I can pull it off this time."

Vector stuck the lit cigarette in his mouth and inhaled deeply. This time the entire cigarette turned to ash. The crocodile then exhaled a large puff of smoke.

"Ha! I'm still the master."

"Vector?" a small voice said from behind.

Vector froze. His eyes moved first before the rest of his body moved. Charmy was standing in the door way. The bee extended his index finger towards him.

"You're smoking!"

"I…err…um…"

Vector dropped the butt of the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it.

"You told me smoking was bad!"

"It is bad. Very bad."

"Then why are you doing it? I'm telling Miss Vanilla!"

"No, Charmy! Anything but that!"

"Too late! I'm telling, I'm telling!" he sang.

The young bee flew inside and locked the door behind him. Vector ran up to the door and jiggled the door knob. No luck.

"Oh come on, Charmy! Let me in! I'm sorry, okay!?"

"Nope! I'm dialing the phone now!"

"Please Charmy! Don't call Miss Vanilla! I'll do anything ya want!"

Charmy looked through the mail slot in the door.

"Anything?" he said slyly.

"Uh… Sure?"

"Okay then. You have to spend a whole day at the arcade with me."

Oh how Vector hated the arcade.

"Can't I just… drop you off?"

"No! You have to stay with me. I need a partner to play the racing games with."

"You know I suck at those games… Why should I come if you're just gonna kick my butt all the time?"

"Hm… Now what's Miss Vanilla's number again? Oh yes! 434—"

"Okay, okay! I'll take you! You have my word."

"Good."

Charmy unlocked the door and Vector came inside.

"I feel despicable. Being blacked mailed by a 6-year-old…"

"Don't worry about it Vector! We're going to have fun, fun, fun!"

As much as Vector didn't want to go, it sure was nice to see Charmy act like his normal self again. Normal for Charmy at least.

* * *

Later, when Dameon and Espio got home, Espio limped over to the refrigerator, using the furniture to keep his balance. He was still disoriented because of what happened earlier. He grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and slowly went to the living room and sat on the couch. He moaned in discomfort as the ice pack touched his face. He didn't think this night could get any worse.

Dameon entered the living room.

"Well… Next time don't test me like that."

Espio's eyes squinted in response. He didn't dare look at him.

_"I really wish Sonic and Shadow didn't have to see that…"_ Espio thought_. "I hope they don't tell Vector."_

"Okay… Why don't you go lie down on the bed?" Dameon suggested.

"Is… that alright?"

"Well I'm suggesting it, aren't I?"

Espio nodded and followed Dameon into his bed room. He sank his body into the old, beat up mattress and closed his eyes. He had peace and tranquility for about five seconds. Then he felt Dameon plop down on the mattress next to him.

"Ya know…" he said while gliding his finger across Espio's chest. "I think the best way to get rid of a concussion is with a little love-making."

"I'm… REALLY not in the mood right now."

Dameon then rolled on top of Espio. His heart jumped into his throat.

"I wasn't asking for your permission…" Dameon said with a devilish smile on his face.

He grabbed both of Espio's arms tightly and held him down on the bed. His heart started to beat faster.

"You're… not serious, are you...?"

Dameon rested his head on Espio's shoulder.

"Relax baby…" he whispered. "You'll enjoy it."

"I'm begging you… Please don't…"

Everything fell silent. All that could be heard was the soft cry of the purple chameleon as he felt black chameleon penetrate him. His thrusts were violent and painful. It was completely unlike the other times that they had sexual intercourse. It was not a passionate exchange of love. It was rape; plain and simple.

Espio did not have the strength to fight off the Dameon. He was much stronger than he was. And the added head injury didn't help either. Tears slowly started to form in Espio's eyes as Dameon began to bite his neck.

"Don't be afraid… It's not gonna hurt too much. Tough it out."

The black chameleon tried as hard as he could to get deeper into the poor purple chameleon; completely ignoring his light sobs of discomfort. Espio had a hard time trying to catch his breath. He eventually tried closing his eyes and pretended to be somewhere else.

Dameon slipped his long tongue inside Espio's mouth and locked his lips with him. Espio tried to keep himself from gagging as Dameon's tongue went down his throat. Tears crept out of his tightly closed eyelids. He could feel Dameon pushing him harder into the bed. His body couldn't bear that kind of abuse for too long.

Unfortunately, the torture would continue for hours. Dameon would take short breaks in between but would continue again and again. Espio's strength dissipated with each passing minute. His body eventually became limp while Dameon continued to take what he wanted. Finally, Dameon gave Espio one final, hard thrust before finishing. He rolled on his side of the bed, reached in the drawer, and lit a cigarette.

"…Nice…" he said before taking a drag from the cigarette. "But you were a little dead towards the end… No fun in that…"

Espio did not respond at all. His eyes were half-open and fixated on the ceiling. Sweat dripped down from his face as his chest rose and sank. His breath was shaky and weak. Espio's entire body ached. His arms were imprinted with Dameon's finger prints. The purple chameleon was broken both in body and spirit. He'd never felt so pathetic in his entire life. He twitched when he felt Dameon's hand touch is face.

"Night, lover…" said Dameon.

He reached over to the lamp and turned it off. He was feeling a bit tired after what he had just done and feel asleep quickly. But Espio didn't even wink. He was still in shock. The purple chameleon lay there in the darkness, exhausted and broken. He didn't feel he was worthy of sleep. So he stayed awake, despite being so tired. Tears continued to pour out of his eyes all through the night.

* * *

Please review.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11. Enjoy. Thanks for all your feed back in advance.

* * *

About five days later…

"Wohoo! I'm totally beating you!!!"

"Darn it…"

Vector had fulfilled his promise to Charmy and was at the arcade with him on a warm sunny day. They were playing a car racing game together. As usual, Charmy was winning. Vector could probably do better at the came if he could actually fit in the seat.

"Yahoo! I win again!" Charmy sang.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… You win. Like always."

Charmy went to play another video game while Vector took a break.

"Twenty straight games… My eyes feel weird. Thank goodness Charmy is about to reach his budget and we can get out of here."

The crocodile stepped out into the lobby to get some fresh air. He grabbed a soda from the vending machine before leaning against it. After his first sip, something caught his eye. He saw a couple of guys full on making out. One of them was a green lizard. He couldn't see the other one so well.

"Jeez… Hey boys! Mind takin that outside? This is a kids place for cryin out loud."

The green lizard turned his head, giving Vector clear view of his partner. He was nearly stupefied by what he saw. It was an all too familiar black chameleon. And that green lizard certainly was not Espio.

"You…" he said.

Dameon's eyes met with the crocodile's. He was clearly annoyed about being discovered.

"Who the heck are you?" asked the lizard.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Look dude." Dameon said to Vector. "Who ever you are, I'd appreciate it if you mind your own business."

"Oh-ho. Acting like you don't know me, huh Dameon?"

"How does he know your name?" the lizard asked.

"Hey, I'm a popular guy. I can't help it if some weird stalker wants to get with me. Move along now, Crocy. I'm way out of your league."

"Excuse me!? If I was even in to that, I could do way better than you!"

"Sure you could. Come on, let's get out of here." he said to his partner as he an arm over him.

"You slime ball. Do you even realize what Espio gave up for you!?"

"Espio? Never heard of him. I think you have me confused with someone else."

Vector gritted his teeth.

"If you know what's good for ya," Vector said to the green lizard, "you'd stay away from this character. I'm sure you're not the only one he's cheatin on Espio with."

"What is he talking about!?" asked the lizard. "Who's Espio!?"

"I don't know! He's crazy!"

"Hey Dameon." Vector said. "Did you choke this one yet? Or are you waiting to reel him in first?"

"Okay. This is getting weird." said the lizard. "Sorry, but I don't think this is going to work out. Find yourself another booty call."

The green lizard threw Dameon's arm off of him and walked out of the arcade.

"Come on. Baby!"

But the reptile ignored him and left the vicinity. Dameon clenched his fists in anger.

"What the hell was that!?" Dameon yelled. "What does it matter to you what I do!? Espio is not your friend anymore! Why is this any of your business?"

"It's a miracle! Your memory's back! Look. Just because you forced Espio to end his association with me doesn't mean you can force me to change my feelings. I am, and forever will be, loyal to him. That's more than I can say about you. And when he realizes what a jerk you are, I'll be there to help him."

"Hm… Please. Like it or not, Espio is never going to see you again as long as I'm around."

"I'll find a way around ya. Don't you worry."

"Oh really? I'd stay the hell away if you know what's best for you."

"You don't scare me. Come after me with all you got. I'll still beat ya."

"Huh… Very noble of you. You may think you're strong but I know your weakness. So let me put it this way. If you ever get in my way again, I'll punish Espio for it."

"…What…?"

"Could be a put down or something physical. Who knows? What ever I'm in the mood for."

Vector was enraged. He was outright threatening the mistreatment of his friend if he was to intervene.

"You coward… I outta!" he said as he raised his hand in the air.

"Ah, ah, ah… Not so fast. You don't want Espio to suffer, now do you?

The crocodile lowered his arm in defeat.

"Well since you ruined my date, I'll be heading back home now. Better not cross me again."

The black chameleon turned away from the crocodile and left the arcade. He was so angry that he crushed the can of soda he was holding causing soda to splatter all over the place.

"Ah, dammit…"

Vector left to clean himself up in the bathroom before going back to Charmy.

* * *

After the events of that fateful night, Espio had been feeling quite depressed. He felt his self worth dwindling away. Despite all of that, he still had deep love for Dameon.

Since that night, Espio and Dameon have kept their distance from one another. He hadn't really spoken to him in a while. The black chameleon was more interested in going out a lot.

Today, Espio wanted to was the bedding. He pulled off the sheets first and then removed the pillows from their cases. When he pulled out one of the pillows from its case, a folded up piece of paper fell out.

"What the…?"

The chameleon picked up the paper and unfolded it. On it was a few telephone numbers in Dameon's hand writing.

"What could this be?"

Espio folded it back up and placed in on the dresser. He then gathered the bedding in a basket and made his way to the apartment complex's laundry room. After he put the items in the washer, he began to get an uneasy feeling about the telephone numbers. Something inside him told him that something strange was going on.

When he got back to the apartment, he took the piece of paper on the dresser and dialed one of the numbers on it. He was met with a surprise on the other line.

_"Hey Damy Baby! What's up? I miss you!"_ said an effeminate male voice on the other site.

Espio only let out a confused grunt. The mysterious voice on the other end continued to say things that were meant for Dameon's ears.

_"It's been a while. I had a great time that one night… Oh wow, you really rattled me up inside, I'll tell ya!"_

The chameleon's eyes widened and his bottom lip started to quiver. He still retained his silence.

_ "How come you're not saying anything? Come on, Dameon. Get over here so we can spend some time together."_

"He's not spending anytime with you!" Espio finally screamed. "Who the heck are you!?"

_ "Wha... Who the heck are YOU!?"_

"Dameon's boyfriend!"

_"Boyfriend? Is that supposed to mean something? I mean I have a boyfriend too. Lighten up. We all need a change once in a while."_

Espio's heart felt like it broke in half.

_ "Just relax Honey. It's just sex with me and Dameon. Don't take it so seriously."_

"Don't take it seriously!? Sex is not a hobby! It's something special! I thought it was a special bond that was only for Dameon and me! How can you speak of it as of it were a leisurely activity!?"

_ "Why are you asking me this? You should ask your boyfriend. I'm mean… I feel a bit bad that Dameon wasn't straight with you about this, but… nothing I can do about it."_

Espio slammed the phone back on the hook. He ran to the couch and sunk his face into the cushion. It wasn't long after before the tears started to flow. His heart felt as if it were bleeding. He clutched his chest in response. A million thoughts began to rush through his head. How many more men were there? Not to mention that he and Dameon were having unprotected sex now. And the thought that he could be doing it with many more made Espio sick to his stomach.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. Espio shot his head up from the couch and looked at the door.

"Ya home, Dameon?" asked the voice.

Espio recognized the voice as that of the monitor lizard.

"Espio? Anyone dere?"

As much as he didn't want to answer it, Espio felt it would be rude not to. He attempted to wipe his tear stained face and stood up. He answered the door, trying to keep the tears back.

"Oh, hey Esp."

"Hello… What brings you here?"

"Well, I wanted ta return dis movie ta Dameon."

"He's not here right now, but you can leave it with me. I'll give it to him."

"Thanks."

The giant noticed that Espio looked as if he had been crying.

"You alright?"

"Uh… Yeah… Everything's fine…"

"Y'sure?"

"Yes…"

As hard as he tried, the chameleon could not stop the tears. He felt absolutely embarrassed that he couldn't control his emotions.

"You dun look fine… What's wrong…?"

"Come on in…"

Espio closed the apartment door after the monitor lizard came inside.

"You and Dameon have a fight?"

"No… It's… Have you seen Dameon… um… have relations with other guys?"

The monitor's eyes widend in response to the question. He obviously knew something.

"If you know something… please tell me… Just so I have sanity… I won't tell Dameon that you told me… I promise…"

He sighed before answering.

"Truthfully, I haven't seen anything myself. I've just heard Dameon talk about it…"

Espio's head turned towards the floor. There was a long silence.

"I'm real sorry Espio… I shoulda said somethin…"

"I… understand… You barely know me and Dameon's one of your best friends. It's only natural that you wouldn't disclose anything to me…"

"It don't make it right…"

Both sat on the couch. Espio explained how he found the numbers.

"Has you guys relationship goin smoothly uderwise?"

"Not really… We barely talk to each other…"

Sitting next to Espio, the monitor lizard noticed a healing bruise above his eye. He had a suspicion of what it was from.

"How'd ya get that…?"

"I um…" he said as he tried to think of a story. But it was no use. He sighed before saying "Dameon was mad that I talked to another gentleman… Ironic isn't it? Here he's cheating behind my back and he clubs me for giving directions to a lost tourist…"

The monitor lizard frowned and then scratched his chin. He was torn at the moment. He didn't want to go against his friend but the young chameleon was clearly in pain. He knew that things would only get worse for him.

"Maybe… you should just… get out of this… It really isn't lookin good. Maybe go back to yer friends."

"I don't have friends… Not anymore… They'll never speak to me again… Dameon made sure of that…"

"You don't know dat…"

"I appreciate your concern. But… I still love Dameon… very much… Even if… it seems like he doesn't love me back… I want to try and make this work."

"If dats what ya really want…"

The monitor lizard stayed for a little while longer before Espio saw him off with a bag of a home made meal. He continued to wait for his lover's return afterwards.

* * *

At Chaotix HQ, Vector kept thinking about his encounter with Dameon. He didn't want to, but he reached for his cigarette pack in his desk drawer. He slammed the drawer after he heard Charmy coming in.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah… I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well... when you came back from your break at the arcade, you were all quiet and different… On the way home too."

"Oh… I'm just thinking about things. That's all."

The bee got closer.

"Thanks for taking me today, Vector. Even though you didn't want to go. I had a lot of fun" he said as he cracked a smile.

"Heh. It's no trouble. Glad you had a good time."

Talking with Charmy made Vector feel not so in need of a smoke. He left the pack alone and went to order dinner for the two of them.

* * *

Dameon finally arrived home by 8:00 p.m. Espio waited on the couch for him.

"Hey babe." Dameon said.

"Where have you been?"

"Out…"

"Why didn't you say you were leaving?"

"Do you have to know everywhere I go? Loosen the chain a bit."

"So… were you visiting your other partners?"

Dameon froze.

"What did you say?"

"I'll cut to the chase. I found the phone numbers hidden in your pillow case. One of your partners told me everything."

The black chameleon's face turned red in a combination of embarrassment and anger. He just walked away from the purple chameleon and headed for kitchen.

"Walking away again, are you?"

"Look, I'm hungry! I didn't eat all day."

"Aren't you even going to explain yourself!?"

"How bout you explain why you were getting involved in my business?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression that we shared everything with each other. That's what a committed relationship is about."

"What ever…"

Now Espio was getting angry.

"So that's it then… You're not saying anything else?"

"I'm a man, Espio. I have needs. Grow up and get over it."

Espio became blinded with rage. Not even thinking about it, he punched Dameon in the chin, busting it open.

"AH! What the hell!?"

The purple chameleon stared at his first before looking back at the black chameleon. His expression changed and he let out a gasp. He did not believe what he had just done.

"Dameon… I-I-I…"

Before he could finish, Dameon slugged him in the stomach. His breath was taken away and he collapsed to the floor. The black chameleon moved to the other side and kicked the purple chameleon in the lower back hard. He struggled to breathe.

"Idiot…" Dameon mumbled.

He went into the kitchen and closed the sliding door behind him. All the while Espio was trying to catch his breath. He was unable to stand because of the intense pain in his back. Despite all of that, he was still feeling bad about what he did. He hated himself at the moment for punching Dameon. Right now, he felt he was disserving of his punishment.

_"I'm sorry Dameon…"_ he thought as a tear fell from his eye.

The purple chameleon lied in a crumple heap on the floor for the next few hours.

Meanwhile, Dameon cleaned the blood off his chin at the kitchen sink.

"We're even for now, Scaly."

* * *

Well Espio fought back this time. Poor guy... Next chap will be up soon. ^____^


	12. Chapter 12

Happy Easter everyone! Chapter 12 is here. This is the turn-around chapter and I'm sure the ending will make you happy.

Note: this is where the mpreg starts. Hope you like X3

* * *

A few weeks later…

Shadow was walking home from the supermarket when he happened to pass the alleyway where Espio was viciously beaten by his boyfriend. He paused for a moment and stared into the alleyway. The memory of what he saw that night replayed in his mind. His eyes expressed remorse as he remembered seeing Dameon hit Espio in the head with a piece of wood.

_"No Espio…"_ he remembered Sonic saying. _"You can't be seriously going back home with him."_

_"I'm sorry Sonic… But… I love him…"_

The black hedgehog then looked up at the sky.

"Poor Espio… You disserve so much better. When will you realize that?"

Shadow left the alleyway and continued his journey home. After a few minutes went by, he had an uneasy feeling that someone was following him. He pretended not to notice but stayed cautious. He then felt a rush of air coming towards him. He quickly turned around and blocked an on coming attack from an invisible foe.

"Wow, you really are fast." said a voice. "I'm impressed."

The invisible form appeared before Shadow. It was an all too familiar face.

"You…" Shadow said as he identified the attacker as Dameon.

"I must admit that you're moves are quite… attractive." he said as he licked his lips.

"What nonsense are you speaking of?"

"Relax… It's a compliment. Usually I'm not into you warm blooded creatures. But you are something special."

"Are you trying to… hit on me? Ha. That's a laugh. You're so not my type."

"Oh and that wussy blue hedgehog is?"

"He's more of a man that you could ever be."

"Ooh… Feisty one, aren't ya? I find that sexy."

"Why are you telling me this? I thought you love Espio."

"I do. But he bores me sometimes. I'd like something new every once in a while."

"You're a creep…" the hedgehog said as he continued to walk down the street.

The chameleon pursued him.

"Come on… I know you must get bored of that blue hedgehog. Why don't you give me a chance? I promise to make it worth your while." he whispered in Shadow's ear.

"Get lost, or I'll have to hurt you."

"Aren't you a toughie? How cute."

Dameon grabbed a switch blade from his belt with lightning speed and wrapped an arm around Shadow's neck. He then held the blade to his throat. Shadow dropped his grocery bag and stood still. But his face expressed annoyance rather than fear.

"Sorry to have to do this to ya babe. But I take what want."

"You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?"

In a flash, Shadow grabbed Dameon's knife-wielding hand and twisted his arm around to his back. This caused the knife to drop to the ground. Now the tables were turned.

"Oww! Jeez…"

"Doesn't feel so good, does it? Maybe now you'll stop doing it Espio."

"What… the heck are you?"

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog; the ultimate life form. I was once a killing machine but have chosen to use my skills for good. But I can always revert back to my old ways. I have enough power in my finger to tear apart an army tank. I can certainly snap your arm off like a twig with no effort at all if I wanted to. So I suggest you get out of here."

Shadow shoved Dameon away and he almost fell to the ground but regained his balance.

"Weird freak." he muttered. "Fine. Your loss."

Dameon turned invisible and disappeared into the darkness. Shadow let out a sigh.

"What an idiot…" he thought as he picked up the dropped vegetables that fell out of the bag.

The black hedgehog continued on home.

Back at Dameon's apartment, Espio was not feeling too well. He believed that it was some kind of stomach virus. His nausea had lasted a few days already. And now, the purple chameleon found himself bent over the toilet bowl again.

"Uhhhggg…" he moaned before throwing up again.

This stomach sickness seemed a bit different than ones he had previously. This sickness seemed to come and go, being most aggressive in the morning. During his other stomach illnesses, he always had a loss of appetite. But it seemed that Espio was eating more than usual. Also, he was experiencing severe muscle aches and stomach cramps.

After he felt he was empty, Espio went to the sink and rinsed his mouth. He splashed his face with cold water and then looked in the mirror. His eyes were red.

_"What's wrong with me…? This feels like the worst stomach flu I've ever had. Yet I'm not losing my appetite. It doesn't make sense…"_

Worried about what it could be, Espio decided to do some research on the internet. He typed up all his symptoms on a medical website.

Only one result came up. Espio let out a gasp of disbelief in reaction to the result.

"What…? No… That can't be right…"

Shadow reached Sonic's house a few minutes later. He let out a sigh to get his attention as he put the bag on the counter.

"Hey, Shad." Sonic said. "Somethin' wrong?"

"You won't believe what happened."

"What?"

"That creep of a boyfriend Espio has attempted to rape me."

"WHAT!? OH MY GOD! Are you okay!?" he said while grabbing the black hedgehog's arms.

"Of course I'm okay. Do you think I'd actually let him do it?"

"Uh… Yeah that's true… Sometimes I forget about your powers…"

"He did try to be all charming with me first. He obviously doesn't care about Espio's feelings that much. Who knows how many other guys he's hit the sack with?"

"Yeah…"

"Something wrong?"

"I just… feel bad I wasn't there to protect your honor. I know you can take care of yourself most of the time, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about ya."

"Oh, Sonic… That is so sweet…" he said as he scratched under the blue hedgehog's chin, causing him to purr. "I wish Espio could have a boyfriend like you. You know who I think would be a perfect match for him?"

"Who?"

"Vector."

Sonic broke out in a huge grin before he started laughing hysterically.

"V-V-Vector!?"

"What's wrong with Vector?"

"Well first of all, I don't think he's in to guys. Second of all, don't you think he would… crush Espio…?"

"I'm sure he could be very gentle… And you don't know that he's not into guys."

"Well we know he likes Cream's mom."

"There is such a thing as bisexuality, Sonic. Who knows? Vector does seem to really care about Espio. I mean since he left, Vector hasn't been the same. I suspect that this is more than friendship."

"What ever you say, Shad. I just can't see it happening."

* * *

The next night, Vector had the house to himself and took the time to do some extra paper work. Charmy had taken a trip to the theme park with Cream and was going to spend the night at her house afterwards.

Vector was just faxing a form for a client when he heard a frantic knock at the door.

"Oh boy… Late night clients…"

The knocks became louder and faster.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming. Jeez..."

Vector opened the front door and got a shocking surprise as he saw the figure standing before him.

"Espio…?"

"Thank God you're home Vector…"

"W-what are you doin here…?"

"I-I-I just didn't know what to do or where to go."

Vector saw that Espio was shaking like a leaf. He looked afraid for his life and was also covered in bruises.

"Alright, take it easy. Just come inside."

Once Espio was inside, Vector sat him on the couch and covered him with a blanket.

"Oh God… Oh God… What am I going to do...?"

"Relax Espio… You're safe now. Now tell me what happened."

"I just found out something. Something about myself… Something really important. And I have no idea how to tell Dameon. I'm afraid he's going to fly off the handle."

Espio paused to let out a few sobs. He hid his eyes in his hands as he continued to cry softly. Vector looked down at him in concern.

"Shh… relax. What did you find out?"

"That I… I… I can't say it… You'll probably freak out yourself."

"Espio… You can tell me anything. Please just tell me what it is so I can help you."

"… I'm pregnant…"

"… What now? Oh man… Dameon must have hit you too hard this time… I need to call the doctor."

"VECTOR! I'm being serious!!"

"Espio… Do I need to explain the differences between boys and girls? You can't be pregnant. You're a guy."

"I took a test!! It said I was! Maybe I should just leave…"

Vector believed that Espio had become mentally unstable. He thought it best to just play along just so Espio wouldn't go back to Dameon.

"Okay, okay. You convinced me. I can see you're serious about this. Where's Dameon now?"

"I have no idea… He's been gone for a few days now. When he finds out I came here, he's going to be furious with me."

"Don't worry about that right now."

"What am I going to do, Vector? How am I going to tell him he has a baby on the way?"

"You really want my opinion?"

"Yes."

"Don't. Don't tell him."

"What…? I have to! It's his baby!"

"Espio, look at yourself! You have bruises all over your body!"

Espio took the time to look at his arms. They were black and blue from Dameon grabbing them so tightly.

"Think about it this for a moment. If he does this to you, what makes you think he won't do it to a helpless infant!?"

"He wouldn't do that…"

"Yeah… Just like you said he wouldn't hit you again…"

Espio turned his head so he did not have to look into Vector's eyes.

"I know this isn't what you wanted to hear. But I cannot, for the life of me, give you advice on how you can go back to that monster."

"Then I think I came to the wrong place…"

Espio took the blanket off his shoulders and began to walk to the door. When he put his hand on the doorknob, Vector said:

"If you walk out that door, I can no longer help you. I can promise that if you stay here, I will do everything I can to get you through this and make sure your baby gets the well upbringing it deserves. But… if you choose to go back to Dameon, your fate will be uncertain. But my estimation says it won't be a good one. All and all… it's your choice. You can choose a safe lifestyle or the dangerous one."

Espio stared at the doorknob while thoughts ran through his head. Should he go back to Dameon? The one he cared so deeply for but also had suffered physical and mental abuse from? Now things were different. He had to think about not only himself but also his baby.

"So Espio… What's it gonna be?"

He stood in silence for a few more moments. Then he turned towards Vector trying to choke back the tears.

"I… I need help. Please help me…"

He burst into tears shortly after and collapsed to the floor. Vector rushed over to him and wrapped him in a soft embrace. The chameleon rested his head on the crocodile's chest.

"It's alright… Everything's alright now… We're gonna take care of ya."

"I'm so scared…"

"Don't be. It's going to be okay. Relax now…"

Vector then thought to himself.

_"I won't let Dameon hurt you EVER again. If he wants to get to you, he'll have to get through me first."_

_

* * *

_Aww... Thank you for your reviews in advance ^^_  
_


	13. Chapter 13

Here's chapter 13, finally... Sorry about that. Nothingreally interesting happens.

* * *

After a night of rest, Vector convinced Espio to let him take him to the hospital. He told Espio it was only to get him checked out physically. But he wanted the doctor to check him out mentally as well. Vector believed something was really wrong with him if he thought he was pregnant.

The two arrived at the hospital at 9 am. But it took two more hours to have Espio looked at due to the waiting period. They were eventually called into an examination room. The chameleon took his seat on the examination chair while the crocodile sat on a stool near by.

Vector couldn't help but notice that Espio was quite antsy.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah… I just… don't like hospitals."

"Me neither. But don't worry. We'll get out of here soon."

The doctor came in a few minutes later.

"Hello there." she said. "My name is Dr. Fern. So sorry for the long wait. There are just so many patients today."

"That's alright." said Vector.

"So you must be Espio." Dr. Fern said to the chameleon. "How are you feeling today?"

"Alright."

"Oh my…" she said while looking at all the bruises on Espio's body. "What happened to you?"

"My…"

Espio fell silent after recalling all the times that Dameon had struck him.

"… I'd prefer not to talk about it…"

But the doctor had seen this type of situation before. Espio's bruises and withdrawn behavior were all signs to domestic abuse. She then looked at Vector for a moment and had a suspicion.

"Excuse me sir, but would it be alright if I spoke to Espio alone?"

"Um sure. That'd be okay."

Espio looked up at Vector, not wanting him to leave.

"Don't worry. I'll be right outside if you need me. Let the doctor help you."

Once he was gone, Dr. Fern spoke to Espio.

"Now Espio, I don't want you to be afraid. I want to help you. Can you please tell me how you got those bruises? Take your time if you need it."

The chameleon sat in silence. It took some time to gather strength to finally accept what Dameon had done to him.

"My… boyfriend did this to me… It's gone on for weeks now…"

"I thought so… Are you afraid of him?"

"Very much so…"

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. But we're here to support you. If you'd like, I can get the police to remove your boyfriend from the hospital if it'd make you feel safer."

Espio raised his head up, looking confused.

"What…? Wait a minute… You-you think VECTOR is my boyfriend?"

"He… isn't?"

"NO! He's not the one who did this me. He's the one who brought me here. He would never lay a hand on me."

"Oh dear… I am so sorry about that. I just thought you didn't want to talk because he was in the room. Please forgive me."

"It's… alright… I guess it could have looked that way…"

Dr. Fern began her examination. The bruises on Espio's arm were still very tender. She also noticed the disturbing bite marks on his neck.

"Are you still with your boyfriend?" she asked.

"I suppose not… I ran away from him after…"

"After what?

"After… I found out I was… pregnant."

"What?"

"Yes. I know it sounds strange. But I really am. I've been feeling ill lately and when I took a pregnancy test, it came out positive. I would show it to you but I'm afraid I threw it in a dumpster to hide it from my boyfriend."

Dr. Fern gazed at the chameleon with concern.

"Were you born… female?"

"No."

"Well I'm sorry. But I don't think you could possibly be pregnant otherwise."

"I figured you wouldn't believe me."

"You know Espio, there's always a chance you read the test wrong…"

"How else would you explain the vomiting, headaches, and stomach cramps I've been getting?"

"Tell you what. Why don't I give you a pregnancy test here? There's no way that this one could give you an incorrect result. Sound fair enough?"

"I guess so…"

Vector waited outside in the waiting room. He listened to his music to entertain himself. But he kept it at a much lower volume than usual to be courteous to the others around him. He was then approached by Dr. Fern.

"Um… Could I talk to you?"

"Yeah. I have to talk to you as well."

"So you know, don't you? What Espio believes?"

"Yes."

The two went somewhere more private.

"Do you have any idea why Espio would think he's pregnant?" Vector asked. "I'm really worried about him."

"Well… I have a theory. He may have convinced himself that he was in order to create a crutch."

"A crutch?"

"Yes. A reason to leave his abusive boyfriend. He did not have enough will power to do it himself so he made up a reason to get away."

"That sorta makes sense… Do you think he needs to go to a mental hospital?"

"Well, I want to try something first. Right now I'm running a pregnancy test on the urine sample Espio gave me. When it comes out negative, I am hoping that he'll drop this thought."

"Well, other than this pregnancy thing, how's he doin? Are there any serious injuries?"

"Well there doesn't seem to be any serious injuries. I think there are more mental ones than physical ones. He might need some therapy to deal with his experience."

Vector was feeling a range of different emotions at the moment. He had a deep sadness for how much Espio was suffering and great anger towards the one who caused it.

"Espio's feeling a little nervous right now. I think you should go back with him. He feels much better when you are around."

"Really…?"

She nodded. They went back into the examination room where Espio was waiting.

"I'm going to go check on your pregnancy test. I'll be right back."

The doctor left the two reptilians alone.

"So, how'd everything go?"

"Alright. She says my bruises should heal in due time. I'm hoping this pregnancy test will prove once and for all that I'm not crazy."

"Umm… Yeah."

"You know…"

Vector raised and eyebrow as Espio covered his mouth to stifle a giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"She thought… you were my boyfriend."

The crocodile's face turned bright red.

"Wha…??"

"Heh… I know. Silly, isn't it?"

"Ha ha! Y-yeah! Silly!"

Vector's eye caught some movement near the door. It was Dr. Fern. She was motioning for him to come out of the room. She obviously did not want Espio to see her.

"Uh… Hold on a sec, Espio. I think I left something in the waiting room."

"Oh… Okay."

Vector left the room to see the doctor.

"What's going on?" he whispered.

"I… Just, come with me please."

Dr. Fern took Vector to her office.

"What is it? Is something wrong with Espio?"

"Well… not entirely. The test revealed something interesting…"

"What? Tell me already."

"It revealed that Espio was right. He really is pregnant."

"Okay… I think I'd like to see another doctor, please."

"No, no. It's true. Our testing method is full-proof. We even checked it twice."

"You sure that sample belonged to Espio?"

"Yes, we are sure. He handed it to us right after he left the bathroom and we haven't put it out of our sight since. It's absolutely astonishing. I've never seen anything like this before."

"Well… I'm happy for you… Now let's talk about what I'M gonna do."

"What do you mean?"

"I promised him I'd help him out with this baby so he wouldn't go back to his boyfriend. I was positive that Espio was mistaken. The truth is there is no way I can afford this… Money's already tight as it is…"

"Well there are programs you can apply for to help out with this sort of thing. Of course, the problem would be word of this getting out. I'm sure the news would have a field day with this one."

"Oh God… I think I need another cigarette…"

"Maybe I can arrange something. I have a colleague who specializes in taking care of maternity cases. There is a home that house and takes care of pregnant women. Perhaps she could accept Espio."

"No… I promised him. And I never break a promise. I'll just work extra hard. If I don't, then we run the risk of Espio going back to that… thing…"

"That's very admirable of you. Espio's very lucky to have someone like you."

"Yeah…"

Finally, they returned to the examination room and gave the news to Espio.

"Well, Espio. Allow me to give you my sincerest apologies for not believing you." Dr. Fern said. "Congratulations. You are expecting."

Espio gave the doctor a smile.

"Thank you very much."

Vector and Espio left the hospital and headed home. The chameleon could help but notice that the normally chatty crocodile was silent.

"You're awfully quiet, Vector… Something wrong?"

"Uh, no. Nothing's wrong. Just thinking."

"I know it's not going to be easy for you to support a baby. But don't worry. I'll get another job if that's what it takes."

"Well, we'll work out the details later. I'm just glad that you're safe now…"

Espio looked up at the crocodile. His face expressed a sort of peacefulness.

"So… Is Charmy coming home today?"

"Huh…? Oh yeah! I almost forgot about him. Yes. He should be home this afternoon. Boy, is he going to get the surprise of his life."

"He's not… mad at me, is he?"

"No. I already explained the situation to him. He's going to be thrilled to see you."

"I wonder how he's going to take the news. Maybe we shouldn't tell him right away. I don't want him to be… freaked out by this…"

"He's gonna find out sooner or later. Especially when you… you know… start showing…"

"I guess…"

The chameleon gently placed his hands over his midsection. He then looked up at the clear blue sky.

"It's strange to think that there is a baby growing inside me. I didn't believe it either when I took that pregnancy test. But it was more than just the test. I just feel different inside. It's like I already knew it deep down inside."

"Guess ya gain those types of feelings when you're expecting."

Espio turned his head to Vector.

"You never really believed me until the doctor said so, did you?"

"Well um… I believed that you believed that you were pregnant."

"In other words, you thought I was crazy."

The crocodile turned his head down and scratched it, feeling embarrassed.

"It's alright though." the chameleon said. "I know you only had my best interest in mind. I appreciate you being there to help me."

"No trouble at all. It's time things turned around. Everything is going to get better."

* * *

Yep that's it. Thanks for readin' this chapter.

**EDIT. The story is NOT finished! Sorry if you misunderstood what I said!**


	14. Chapter 14

HIIII. Sorry for not updating for a while. Busy. But this chapter is sorta cute. Charmy's misunderstands what Espio says at one point XD It's funny.

* * *

Later that day around 2:00, Vector stepped outside to look for Charmy. He figured he'd be home at any minute. Of course, he knew he'd hear him first.

"VECTOR!"

The crocodile spotted the bee on the horizon. Charmy was happily zipping through the air, whistling a tune."

"I'M BACK! And I brought some stuff home!"

"I take it you had a good time."

"Oh you bet! I went on this rollercoaster, and it was like 'ZOOOM! RARR! ERR! BBBSSHH!' Cream didn't go on it though. She said it was too scary."

"Really…? You should have told her that it would be alright and that you would keep her safe. Girls love that."

"Eww… that sounds all gushy! I've already told you, she's NOT my girlfriend!"

"What ever, kid. Now come inside. Got a surprise for you."

"Wow, really? Awesome! Is it a PS3?"

Vector directed him into the house.

"Not exactly…"

Charmy let out a gasp when he saw who was sitting on the couch.

"Hello, Charmy." Espio said in a friendly voice.

Charmy dropped the bags he was carrying and flew up into his room without saying a word. There was an awkward silence in the room as they heard Charmy's door slam.

"I thought you said he wasn't mad at me…"

"I don't understand. I thought he'd be overjoyed."

Vector walked up the stairs and went to Charmy's room. Espio stood at the base of the staircase. The crocodile cracked open the door. The bee had his face shoved in a pillow.

"That was incredibly rude, Charmy. What's with you?"

Espio went a little further up the stairs so he could hear what Charmy was saying.

"I don't want to see him." he said.

"Why?"

"Cause I don't!"

The chameleon made a frown.

"There must be a reason. Please tell me. You were so depressed when Espio wasn't around. I thought you'd be happy."

"I don't want to be happy…"

"But why…?"

"Because…" he said as he started to sob. "He's just going to go back to Dameon like he did before… If I get happy now… I'm just going to be sad later when he leaves… If I just don't talk to him while he's here, I won't be sad when he goes…"

Charmy's words almost had Espio in tears. He went up the stairs and stood outside the bee's room.

"Charmy… I am so sorry I left you like that. I can understand why you don't want to see me. But I promise that I won't leave you this time."

"That's what you said before…"

"I know… I'm hoping that you can forgive me for what I have done."

"I know it's not you're fault… I just… don't want to be sad again."

"Charmy… I swear that I'm not going back to Dameon… I want to be here, with you guys. I want to be friends again."

Charmy lifted his head up from the pillow and he made eye contact with Espio. He then sat up and wiped the tears from eyes.

"So… you're going to live here with us again?"

The chameleon nodded in agreement. The bee gave a smile as he started to tear up again. He then leaped off the bed and flew into Espio's arms. He crouched down on the ground and tightly hugged him back. He started to hush the boy when he heard his sobs.

"Don't you ever leave again, okay?"

"Of course."

Vector stood silently in the background, nearly to the point of crying. But he held it back and approached them.

"Well. Let's celebrate this happy reunion. I'll make my famous Volcano Burgers. And don't worry; I'll make sure not to set the kitchen on fire this time"

Vector, with the help of Espio, prepared a meal for the group to eat. They all sat down at the kitchen table. It would be the first time in a few months. Vector tapped his spoon against his glass to get everyone's attention.

"Ahem. I'd like to make a toast." He then raised his glass into the air. "Here's to the Chaotix being whole again. And let us never be separated again."

"Yeah!" said Charmy. "Team Chaotix Forever!"

"Great to have you really with us again, Espio."

"Thank you, Vector."

The three tapped their glasses together and then dug into there meals. Espio paused for a moment to enjoy the sight of Charmy and Vector eating in his presences again. He never knew how much he would miss it until he was without. He smiled before taking another small bite of his meal.

Vector and Charmy finished their meals first. Espio was a little over halfway done. He was staring at his dinner plate, deep in thought. He was thinking about the secret he hadn't told Charmy yet.

"You okay Espio?" Vector asked.

"Yeah… Uh. Do you think I could talk to you outside?"

The crocodile nodded.

"Wait here Charmy. We'll be right back."

"Okay…"

The two exited to the living room.

"Somethin on your mind?"

"I think I should get it over with and tell Charmy. I already need to rebuild his trust in me. I don't want to start that off with keeping a secret this big from him. Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Yeah. I think the sooner you tell him, the better. But it's all up to you in the long run. I don't want this to eat you up inside. If it would help you feel better also, then you should tell him."

"Yes…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. He's not gonna dislike you cause of this or anything. I'm sure he'll understand."

The chameleon reluctantly nodded and kept his head held high. The reptilians returned to the kitchen where the bee was waiting.

"Charmy. There is something I want to discuss with you." Espio said.

"Yeah?"

Espio sat back in his seat and looked at Charmy from across the table. Vector sat down as well and watched the two of them.

"Well you see… there is another reason why I decided to come back. And it's something that's going to affect all of our lives."

"What is it?"

"This might be a little shocking to take in at first. But I want you to know that I'm still the same Espio."

"Um… Okay…"

"You see… the other day… I found out I have an egg in my tummy."

"So… you having eggs for breakfast is going to change our lives?"

"No, no, no. Not those kinds of eggs. I mean… a baby…"

"You ATE a baby?"

Espio slapped his forehead. Vector tried his hardest to keep himself from bursting into laughter by covering his mouth with his hand.

"I didn't eat anything… I mean I'm going to _have_ a baby."

"Oh… Wait, guys can do that too? I thought only girls could do it."

"Well… normally, yes. But… I guess…"

The words weren't coming out of Espio's mouth right. He didn't know what to say and was struggling. Vector decided to step in.

"You know Charmy, there are special cases where guys can have babies. Take the male seahorse for example. They're the ones who have the babies rather than the female."

"Wow, really? So Espio is kinda like a seahorse then?"

"Hm, sorta."

"Ah… Espio has a curly tail like a seahorse too!"

"He does, doesn't he?" he said before taking a sip of his soda.

_"I am not a seahorse…"_ Espio thought to himself.

"So, how did the baby get inside Espio?" Charmy asked.

Espio's eyes widened and his face turned red while Vector spit out his drink all over the place.

"Uh… We'll tell ya when you're older…" Vector said.

"Yes…" Espio agreed.

"Aww… I can't know anything good until I'm older…"

"Good things come to those who wait, as the saying goes." said Vector.

* * *

Across town, a drunken, black chameleon returned to his apartment after a few days of partying. He struggled to get his keys into the key hole as he was overly intoxicated.

"Ah… Come on…"

After a few minutes, he finally managed to get the door open. He tossed his belt on the floor and slumped into the couch. He then reached over to the table and attempted to grab the remote control for the television. It took a few tries but he finally got it. He tuned in to one of his favorite programs.

Dameon dozed in and out of consciousness as he lay there on the couch. Every so often, he would laugh hysterically when something amusing appeared on the television.

"You're so stupid…" Dameon said to the television.

After a half an hour went by, Dameon fell asleep. In his inebriated state, he hadn't noticed that Espio was not around.

* * *

Later in the evening, Vector gave a call to Vanilla to let her know about Espio's safe return and about the surprise and unfathomable pregnancy.

"That's wonderful to hear that Espio is back." she said. "But are you sure he's pregnant?"

"Well the doctor pretty much confirmed it. I know. It sounds like something out of fiction. But it's real."

"Well I'm very happy for him. Though he is quite young to be having a baby, I'm sure he'll make a wonderful parent."

"Yeah. Caring for him during this time might be a problem though. How am I going to find him a good doctor without this getting out?"

"You know, Vector. I did study this sort of thing while I was in college. I might be able to help Espio."

"You could! That's wonderful! Thank you, Miss Vanilla."

The cream-colored rabbit giggled a bit.

"Where's Espio now?"

"Putting Charmy to bed. He'll be thrilled when I tell him."

Upstairs, Charmy had hung up his helmet and vest for the night and jumped into his bed.

"Brushed your teeth?" Espio asked.

"Yep!" he said as he smiled and pulled his mouth open to show off his pearly whites.

"Good."

Espio pulled the covers up to Charmy's shoulders.

"I'm glad your back here, Espio."

"Me too. It feels so nice to be here again."

Charmy squirmed around in his bed trying to find a comfortable position.

"So when's the baby gonna get here?"

"Well about five months from now, I will lay an egg. It'll take another couple of months for it to hatch."

"That's a long time from now."

"Yes, it is. I hope this doesn't bother you too much. I know it's a little strange."

"Yeah, it's weird alright. But I don't care. You're here and that's all that matters. And it'll be fun to have another kid around here to play with."

The chameleon gave a smile. He then picked up a book and began to read one of Charmy's favorite bedtime stories. He made sure to act out all the voices as he always did. The bee would laugh or read along at certain points. A little while later, he was off in dreamland. Espio rubbed Charmy's head and then turned off the lamp.

"Good night Charmy…" he whispered.

Espio tip-toed out of the room and made sure to leave the door slightly opened; the way Charmy liked it. Outside, the chameleon gently placed his hand over his stomach.

"I hope you enjoyed the story too."

* * *

Aww. Hope u like. I was hoping it be better...


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